Opportunities to Change
by MarilynnRae
Summary: A/U. Fourteen year olds Emma and her twin sister Rose decide to take their fates into their own hands and runaway from their lives in foster care only to end up in Storybrooke, Maine. Of course they had a little direction from destiny and a little magic to help them. Plan on a lot of Charming Family and a bit of a change in the tale.
1. Chapter 1

_Once Upon a Time..._

It was the day before her fourteenth birthday and yet it felt like any other day. Still, tomorrow everything was going to change. Not because it was her birthday but because it was they day she left and never looked back. There was enough money for a bus ticket now and she was headed anywhere. No more foster homes or group homes. She was sick of the system and she was ready to leave.

Rose sighed as she closed the notebook she had been writing in and rolled over on the bed, ending up side to side with her sister. They didn't technically have to share a bed, but they had gotten to a point that any time they weren't sleeping, just stuck in their room, they would sit or lay on the same bed doing their own activities.

"Emma, where are we going to go?" she asked as though she had been preparing to take the world by the horns since birth.

Still, Emma had always been the harder sister. She was tougher than Rose in many ways. Emma didn't stop and cry, she fought, but in the end that made Rose an easier target. That's not to say Rose didn't put up a fight of her own, but she always avoided hurting people as much as possible, no matter how bad they treated her. It wasn't easy for her to fight back for herself, but God help anyone who messed with her sister when she was around.

"North, maybe? Or maybe to New York. Lots of people in New York, easy to hide in plain sight."

Emma never took her eyes off her book as she spoke, her wavy blond hair scattered on the pillow with Rose's own dark curls. Their hair was the biggest difference between the two of them, the only other difference was their eyes. Rose's were such a dark piercing hazel, the completely contrasted Emma' bluish green orbs. Sometimes it was hard to believe they were twins, until someone actually got to know them.

"I want to leave already," Rose exclaimed pumping her fists into the air and then letting it turn into a stretch for her shoulders.

Emma looked at her watch as she continued to hold the book. "Two more hours. Then we're out. Now quit getting antsy or someone will ask questions."

Taking a lock of her own hair in her fingers, Rose twisted it and put it between her lips. Patience was not a virtue Rose had ever been familiar with. Emma was at least good at pretending she's patient. She could occupy her mind with books or music, Rose struggled with that. Her mind was difficult to keep on a single task once she was focused on something else.

"It's already dark, we should just leave now! They won't notice," Rose whined making her sister roll her eyes and close the book.

"You're a pain in my ass," she muttered but grabbed for her backpack anyway. Rose grinned in victory and snatched her own bag out from the other side of the bed.

"But I'm motivational!" Rose countered earning a snort from her sister.

It was only eleven-thirty and Emma really hated the fact they didn't wait until their planned time. The foster home they were currently staying at wasn't over crowded like most others. In fact, for that moment it had been just them. There were no other kids to rat them out for sneaking out the window in the middle of the night.

The walk to the bus stop was a long one, but one they had prepared for with comfortable shoes and jackets that kept them fairly warm against the brisk air. They stayed close to each other, both too stubborn to admit that they were nervous about the journey ahead.

It was nearly three in the morning when they reached the next town's bus station. Emma walked up to the ticket booth as Rose hung back staring at the quiet scene that surrounded her. Things were really about to change for them. They were going to be on their own, taking care of themselves. They didn't have to worry about drawing the wrong card when it came to foster homes, or being separated because twins were just too much to handle. No. They were together now, until _they_ said otherwise.

Suddenly, a chill crept over Rose and it felt like her world slowed down for a moment. The sounds of the bus engines humming silenced along with the rest of the world. Rose looked around nervously, noticing Emma talking to the ticket booth woman. Their mouths were moving my her world was still completely silent.

_Maine. _

The voice was small, but Rose was sure she had heard it. In the silence it almost sounded like a echo in her brain.

_Maine. North to Maine._

It was safe to say Rose was terrified by the foreign voice whispering ideas in her mind. "Maine?" she whispered, not sure if it was to the voice in her mind or just to see if she could hear her own voice.

_Go to Maine, my Rose._

The world suddenly began again. The sounds of the streets and muffled conversations of the people around her started back up as quickly as they had disappeared.

Her heart was thudding hard in her chest, but Rose knew she couldn't ignore the feeling her body was telling her. She had to listen to the voice.

"Two to New-" Emma began as Rose dashed to the ticket window and nearly right into her sister.

"Maine. To Maine. Anywhere in Maine," Rose forced out of her mouth. There was a sudden since of relief as Emma looked at her sister like she was crazy. The gray haired woman behind the glass looked at Emma who held the money.

"Uhh, I guess two tickets to Maine," Emma confirmed still staring at her sister like she had lost her marbles.

"You better hurry then. The bus is boarding now." The woman said, her bored tone never changing.

Rose grabbed her sister's wrist as soon as the tickets were placed in her hands before darting to the bus. It was like Rose was being pulled in a direction, like her body was telling her where she needed to go.

Almost as soon as they snagged two empty seats together Emma jerked her arm away from her sister. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Rose didn't answer her, just took a few deep breaths. It made her body relax to know it was headed in the right direction.

"Rose! Answer me! What the hell is going on with you?" Emma snapped again, this time pulling her sister's arm to get her attention.

There were so few times that they ever questioned each other. They knew that they had their own reasons behind their actions and no matter how crazy they were, they would support each other. But this time it was different. Emma was frightened by her sister's out of character behavior.

Rose met Emma's gaze with a soberness her sister has never seen before. "I need you to trust me."

The seriousness in her sister's voice kept Emma from arguing, but Rose was having an internal battle. Where were all these feeling coming from? It was she was a magnet and there was something pulling her so firmly to Maine that it scared her.

Emma had fallen asleep not long after the trip began, but Rose couldn't. She felt so uneasy. She couldn't rest until they got to Maine.

_Many years ago in the Kingdom of the Enchanted Forest..._

Snow was giddy as she nearly skipped down the hallway of the castle, knowing just where to find her husband. Her dark curls were fallen over her shoulders as her hazel eyes glittered with happiness. They were going to have a family. Her and Charming were going to be parents and she simply could not contain her joy from the news Doc had given her only minutes before.

"Charming!" she called through the castle, giving up her original plan of surprise and unable to keep the news to herself for a minute longer. "Charming!"

Now she was darting down the halls of the castle calling out for her husband, half dancing she glanced in every doorway.

Hearing her calls, the King appeared in the hallway. At first he had been concerned by his wife's calls but when he saw her sprinting toward him, smiling so wide that it made his own heart swell, his worry ceased.

Snow giggled as she crashed into her husband's body and wrapped her arms around his neck. He beamed at her through her hard kiss on his lips.

"You seem happy," he stated, allowing her joy to consume him as well.

"Twins, Charming," she said between heavy breaths from her running. "We're having twins..."

The bus came to a hard stop and Emma jumped awake. Rose grabbed her bag from above her seat and looked at her sister. "This is our stop."

Emma looked out the window. They were at a three way stop and there was nothing but forest for as long as she could see on either side. She was about to argue when she remembered what her sister said. It wasn't often that they asked for each other's trust, but Emma certainly was not going to deny her sister such things.

As they climbed off the bus, Emma watched as the bus puttered away, as though it was their only chance at making it anywhere. Then she looked at her sister that was staring in the opposite direction of where the bus went. "This way," Rose said with certainty, tightening her grip on her backpack's straps and taking strong steps toward very possibly the middle of nowhere.

Emma sighed, but followed behind her sister. No matter how much she was trying to trust her sister, she couldn't help but think of how bad of an idea this was.

They walked for miles. Every time Emma would open her mouth to say something, she would quickly shut it again. Rose had never questioned her and she shouldn't question her own sister either.

As the forest continued it's never ending path along both sides of the road, Emma decided to watch her feet as she walked instead. The endless depths of the forest intimidated her and her sister acting like someone that was not her sister was not very comforting either.

There was a gasp from Rose, but before Emma could look up, she rammed right into her sister's small frame. "What?" Emma grumbled as she sister seemed to not even notice the collision.

When there wasn't an immediate reply, Emma glanced around her sister to a large sign on the side of the road that read "Welcome to Storybrooke". A feeling of relief swept over Emma as she threw her arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Let's hope this place has somewhere to eat," Emma said happily skipping on ahead with new found energy.

But Rose's heart was pounding again as she followed her sister passed the sign and into the town. Her body was telling her that something was off. Not really wrong, but different.

Mr. Gold smiles as he feels the shift in the town. Regina, who was standing in his shop arguing with him only a moment before, stops in mid sentence and looks around, also feeling the change.

"What is that?" she snarled as Gold continues to smirk. Their earlier conversation completely forgotten by the unknown force that was powerful enough to earn both of their attention.

Gold turns around and looks at a small empty globe that sat on the shelf behind the counter. The fogged glass wasn't it's dull, colorless self as it had been only moments ago. Instead there was a soft purple glow inside of it now.

"Gold, what is it?" Regina demanded again, this time with more force.

The curse was coming to the end of its days now, the countdown had begun and there was nothing any of them could do about it anymore. But there was something more than that. Gold put his hand on the globe and the purple fog morphed into the image of two girls. One blonde, one brunette.

Gold chuckled to himself as he slowly turned around to Regina. They had finally arrived. These children were going to change everything. They had no idea of how much power they had. Not only would they break the curse, but they had magic. They had magic in a land of no magic, and they didn't even know it!

The sinister chuckle erupted from Gold's lips as he peered at Regina with evil in his eyes. "That's change, dearie."


	2. The Voice in the Silence

"We're here," Rose whispered tucking her hair behind her ear and staring at the clock tower that hands seemed to never move. There was relief in the pit of her stomach and she wanted to leap for joy with the sudden at home feeling she felt looking up around at the town square.

"Where's here?" Emma grumbled examining the map she had pulled out of her backpack. "I've never even heard of Storybrooke. It's not even on this map!"

Rose didn't answer just spun around and looked at the shops along the street. She was so sure this was where she was suppose to be, where they were supposed to be. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Her sister snorted and rolled her eyes as she stuffed the map back into one of her bag's pockets. "Wonderfully boring. It feels like we walked into a Home and Gardens magazine."

The place had a pleasant buzz of people, but was far from crowded. There was a diner on the corner and a bookstore down the road. It was like they walked into Mayberry. Emma already hated it as much as her sister seemed to love it.

Rose grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her toward the diner. "Let's get something to eat," she said cheerfully as they rushed across the street.

But something made Rose stop again. She turned toward the pawn shop and stared at it. "Let's go in there first," she said nodding at the pawn shop just down the road.

"But I'm hungry," Emma complained making her sister roll her eyes.

"I just want to look. It'll just be a second," Rose argued back just making Emma groan. "I'll take that as a yes."

Emma continued to complain as Rose opened the door to the pawn shop and listened to the little bell above the door announce their presence. An older man behind the counter glanced up from a large book he had been writing in. There was a knowing smile he had that made Rose shiver, but she tried not to show it.

"What did you want to look at, Rose?" Emma grumbled.

"You girls aren't from around here, are you?" the man asked with a slight accent as he shut the book that Rose decided had to have something to do with finances since he seemed to only be writing numbers.

"No, sir. Just visiting with our parents," Rose lied not having the skill her sister did as she glanced around at the interesting doodads sitting around the shop.

The man chuckled softly. "Now, you are a better liar than some, but you can't fool me. You two are orphans, are you not?"

The shock of his blunt statement made Rose knock over and barely catch a glass object on the shelf. Emma just stopped, she didn't turn around, unsure of what was going to happen if they gave themselves away.

"I think you're mistaken, Mister..." Rose said turning around and holding her pleasant smile that her sister hardly even shared.

"You can call me Mr. Gold," he replied with a smile. "And you know I'm not. But, lucky for you I'm not interested in sending you back to where ever you came from. I'm just welcoming you to Storybrooke."

Emma pursed her lips and stared at the older man as he walked around the counter, hobbling slightly and using a cane. "So what are you going to do with us? Lock us in the basement and collect the checks?"

Mr. Gold smiled. Well she definitely had her father's tact. Rose held up her hand to her sister and smiled at Mr. Gold in a way that reminded him far too much of their mother. "Please, sir. We don't want to go back to Boston. Maybe you could help us."

Gold smiled at the girls. Raised fourteen years without their parents and already so much like them. They were so important to his plan. They brought a little magic to this world and the curse is broken there will be even more.

He needs the curse to be broken to find his son.

"Why don't you talk to Granny at the diner, since that's where you're headed anyway. I'm sure she can help you," Mr. Gold told the girls.

"She won't- I mean- will we-"

Gold smiled at the dark headed girl and shook his head. "I think I'll be able to take care of the social workers, but Granny will be more likely to find you two a place to stay for the time being."

Emma stared at the older man as she leaned toward her sister and whispered in her ear. "I don't know if we can trust him."

"What choice do we really have? Just keep running? This is where were suppose to be," Rose countered with certainty in her voice.

Gold found her phrasing interesting, Emma found it annoying.

"How about we make a deal?" Gold offered, folding his hands together and leaning on the counter.

Rose and Emma both looked at him skeptically. "A deal?" Emma said slowly. "What kind of deal?"

"I help you two find a real home, a home that you've always wanted, and you two, you owe me a favor."

It sounded too good to be true, and in Emma and Rose's life that usually just what it meant. "What do you really want from us?" Rose said slowly.

Mr. Gold chuckled and grinned. "Let's just say that having two new faces in this town isn't something that happens often. Just helping out."

"I have a feeling that's not something you're known for," Emma mused with a raised eyebrow.

"I just have a feeling about you two. I'm sorry, but I never caught your names," Gold added, ignoring the comment from the blonde twin.

"Emma, and this my sister Rose. Emma and Rose Swan." The sisters stood strong together, and Gold wondered how strong they stood apart. He had a feeling separating them would be much more work and difficulty than he had the power to deal with at the moment.

Twins born from true love. The curse didn't stand a chance now that the saviors had arrived. Regina didn't stand a chance now that the twins had arrived.

"It's a deal. You get us a real home and we'll owe you a favor," Rose said with finality making her sister groan.

Mr. Gold smiled and nodded. "You should go ahead to the diner and talk to Granny. I'm sure I'll see you around town."

The girls didn't argue and there really wasn't anything else to look at or talk about. Emma lead the way out but as Rose made it to the door, Gold cleared his throat. "Rose is quite a pretty name. Is it short for Rosa or Rosalie?"

The hazel eyes glanced toward the old man and she bit her lip. "Rose Red. It's short for Rose Red. Apparently my parents thought a color would be an appropriate name."

"Rose Red," Gold repeated as though he was tasting the name on his lips. "You know, that's a lovely name. Reminds me a little of something..." He then put a finger in the air like he just recalled something. He reached into the glass case beneath him and pulled out a large book with leather bindings. "I think you would enjoy this."

Rose stepped away from the door and looked at the book with the words _Once Upon a Time_ on the cover. It was oddly enchanting. "It's very nice, but I don't have money..."

"Consider it a gift," Gold replied. "The two of you bring out a rather generous side of me."

Rose kept staring at the book. "Hey, are you coming?" her sister called standing in the open door again.

She pulled the book off the counter and stuffed it in her backpack, giving Gold a smile that would most likely touch his heart if he had one. "Thank you, sir."

With that, the girl was gone, running after her sister as she pulled her backpack on her shoulders. She had had no idea how much she was like her mother. Regina would see it as soon as she met the girl.

Emma looked at her sister as they walked down the sidewalk toward the diner. She held a glow that she didn't recognize in her before. Her fair cheeks were pinkened by more than just the cool Maine air and she seemed to hold a small smile that was definitely not there the night before.

Emma tossed her arm over her sister's shoulder and smirked at her. "Why do you like it here so much?"

Rose smiled back at her. "I just have a good feeling..."

Granny was a... spirited old woman who the twins seemed mildly afraid of as she ranted about how two young girls just walking around town with no parents to answer to was completely madness. "They're children! Just children! Children need authority, they need safety. A strong hand and a soft heart!" She kept going about poor orphans and how dangerous the world was for young girls like them to be on their own.

Ruby, a young woman who apparently was the only person who had any real right to call Granny, well, Granny. She kept throwing in her own two cents about the girls having a real life and adventure something _she _never got. They were fourteen and already had seen more of the world than most of Storybrooke.

When they found out that Gold was the one that sent the girls to them, it turned into a whole other story. They had to find the girls a place to live, somewhere other than the Inn.

Both girls had grown tired of the bickering. It was obvious now that they were more concerned about Gold having a hand in their endeavor at Granny's made it a little harder to decide what the best thing to do with them was. Emma had grabbed her book out of her bag and was now ignoring everyone as Rose stared out the window with her own thoughts. The diner was buzzing with people and Ruby and Granny seemed to easily keep up their argument between taking out orders and putting them in.

"Mary Margaret!" Ruby greeted with the sound of exasperation. Rose looked up to see a young woman with dark cropped hair walking though the door of the diner. She looked up at her friend expectantly as Ruby rushed over and pulled her to the window where she and Granny had been arguing for most of the day. "Tell Granny that being free is adventurous and exciting."

Granny snorted and pointed her spatula at her through the small window. "_Not _when you're fourteen."

Mary Margaret looked at both of them. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Both Ruby and Granny motioned to the booth where two girls sat together with empty plates in front of them. The dark haired girl watched shyly as the blonde didn't seem to care as much about discretion.

"Meet Emma and Rose. They need a home," Ruby deadpanned before turning to Margaret with a bit of humor in her eyes. "It's like placing puppies."

"We're not puppies," Emma snapped.

Mary Margaret liked at the girls spunk, even if it came with a whole lot of attitude and even hostility. The other sister seemed to try and reel Emma back in. "Mr. Gold sent us here. We're just... we're just trying to find some place to stay," Rose said much more gently.

They seemed to be very close, yet very different. They balanced each other very well. "What about you Mary Margaret? You have time to raise two teenagers?" Ruby said sarcastically, not noticing how it affected the girls' demeanor to be talked about like they weren't there. Rose's shoulders slumped slightly at the sound of finding them a place to stay seeming impossible while Emma sat even stronger like she was searching for a fight.

"Oh, I don't know," Mary Margaret said immediately taken back by the idea, but also not wanting to hurt the girls either.

"Don't you have a spare room, Mary Margaret?" The three woman all turned to see Mr. Gold standing behind them, giving nothing away with his face. "The girls are pretty good at taking themselves, at least I assume they are or they wouldn't have made it this far."

Emma rolled her eyes and hit her sister's arm. "Great, we've gone from needy puppies to self sufficient cats."

"Will you shut up? You're not helping anything," Rose hissed at her sister.

"You're the one that dragged us here," Emma shot back earning an even harsher glare at her sister.

"Girls, don't fight," Mary Margaret shot at them with surprising sternness silenced Rose's next come back before it could pass her lips. The girls looked at Mary Margaret shocked, but did as she said.

Gold did everything he could to keep from laughing. It was true. Everything was falling into place and so quickly Regina may not even get the chance to stop it.

"I had no idea that you were so maternal," Mr. Gold mused as Mary Margaret gave the girls a warning look that was laced with gentleness.

They really weren't sure how it happened, but Mr. Gold succeeded in convincing Mary Margaret that the right place for the girls was with her. The girls didn't argue, but they didn't really think they had a choice. Still, the woman seemed nice enough.

By the time they left, Mary Margaret seemed to be very confused and concerned about what had happened and how the two girls ended up along with her. What did she know about foster two teenagers, young teenagers? The thought was terrifying. The idea of anything living, more than the occasional house plant living under her care was terrifying.

Plus Emma already proved to be difficult. She had rougher edges than her sister, but she seemed to trust her sister's decisions. Rose seemed to be the one that looked for the hope in her situations. She really wanted to believe that they were going to be okay.

"I-I only have a room upstairs with one bed... We can get another in the morning, but if one of you wants to take my bed you're welcome to it. I'll take the couch," Mary Margaret offered as the girls stood up awkwardly near the door of her apartment.

Rose shook her head. "It's alright, ma'am. We can share a bed. We're pretty used to it."

Emma thrust a thumb at Rose and smirked at her. "She kicks."

"You snore."

Both girls giggled in a way that made Mary Margaret smile. "So," she said moving deeper into the apartment over to the refrigerator in hopes that the girls would at least leave the doorway, which they did. "You two are fourteen?"

"Fourteen today, actually," Emma told her as they took seat at the bar.

"Today!" Mary Margaret said with honest surprise. "Well happy birthday. Which one of you is older?"

Both girls shrugged. "We don't actually know," Rose told her scratching her ears. Her ears seemed to be really bothering her and Emma knew why.

"Why don't you just take them out?" Emma asked her sister with a concerned look.

"Because then I can't talk to her," Rose replied glancing at Mary Margaret sadly.

As the girl pulled back her dark hair, that's when she noticed it. There were thin, barely noticeable hearing aids folding around the back of her ears. Before Mary Margaret could stop it, a small gasp escaped from her lips. But the girl didn't take any offense to it. Instead she just gave a sad little smile.

"It's okay. I'm just sorta hard of hearing. I can hear fine with these," Rose told her tapping her ear. "They've sorta been acting up lately though."

Emma frown. "Cutting out again?"

Rose just shrugged it off like it was nothing. She did her very best not to let it bother her, even when other kids would tease her when she was younger. Honestly she was lucky to even have hearing aids. It took four years, but at least she had them.

"Do you sign?" Mary Margaret asked them as Rose continued to fiddle with her ears.

Both girls nodded. "Had to learn. Emma too," Rose said sadly. Finally she sighed and frowned. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't mind talking more, but my ears are really itchy..."

Mary Margaret smiled and nodded in understanding. "I wouldn't mind learning," she told the girls, earning a slightly confused look from both of them. "Sign language. I mean if you're staying here, I should learn."

Rose blinked at this woman. No one had ever asked her to teach them. Any foster parent that wanted to speak with her demanded her hearing aids in or would speak through Emma. No one had actually even acted like they wanted to talk her other than to demand her round.

"Really?" Rose asked, her hazel eyes wide as her sister's.

The surprise and the look in both the girls' threw Mary Margaret. "Of course. I'd love to learn."

"Okay," Rose said with a nod and a smile that seemed impossible for her to hide. Mary Margaret couldn't possibly know how much it meant to her that someone was actually trying

"Is it okay if we go to bed?" Emma asked stretching her shoulders. "We've had a long night... and day... and night..."

The young woman smiled. "Of course. If you need anything, I'll be-" she motioned toward the bed not far away, partially hidden behind a curtain.

That night Emma slept while Rose read. She turned every page, reading it by the light of a dull flashlight. It was a story of fairytales, but mostly Snow White and Prince Charming. It was their story entwined with so many others. It was the story of their plight with the evil queen. It was how hard they fought to be together, how much they loved each other and how their true love would always prevail.

But then the evil queen told them about a curse she planned. A curse to take away all their happily ever afters and tear their lives apart. The only chance they had was Snow and Charming's child. Which ended up being children. Twins. Daughters.

As she flipped the final pages, her heart stopped at one of the hand drawn images. The only way for the curse to be broken was sending the babies through a magical wardrobe. Snow and Charming were suppose to go through while she pregnant, but the twins came early and they had no choice but to send the babies through alone. The two babies wrapped in blankets. The blankets were what caught his attention. Both white, one with purple stitching, one with red. The names... the names were.

Rose slammed the book shut and snatched her backpack into her hands, digging though its contents until she pulled out a white blanket with red sticking. The stitching was the same as in the book. _Rose Red._

In her silent world, there was a voice that came through again. It was gentle and motherly, and Rose now knew why.

_The curse is real, my love. It's up to you and Emma to save us. _

The voice no longer frightening to Emma. In fact she found it comforting. She knew who's voice it was now. Somehow through the curse, her mother, Snow White, could speak with her. Maybe she was crazy. Delusional. But for some reason, it was comforting.

Rose held the blanket close to her. _Can Emma hear you? Can you talk to her too? _Rose tried to ask the voice, unsure if it would actually work.

_Her world is louder than yours. I believe in you, Rose._

The voice of her mother may have believed in her, but she knew that if she ever dare to tell anyone about the book or the curse not even her sister would believe her.

As comforting as the voice of her mother was, the burden of a secret easily kept her awake.

Gold was alone in his home sipping a glass of auburn liquid. He paced the floor of his dining room, stopping in front of the large bay window and looking out to the clock tower. A smile formed on his lips as he watched the hand of the clock tower move.

A dark chuckle cackled from his lips as he raised the glass in a toast. "Time's ticking away, Regina."

Still, he knew that the clock was also ticking for him. He knew the prophecy regarding Rose Red, the one to take the dark one's power. Red Rose, the next dark one?

_**Thank you to AllannaStone and Spike847 for reviewing the first chapter. I absolutely love reviews! **_


	3. Charming

Mary Margaret was terrified. They girls were good girls, but they were teenage girls. They were sisters, so of course they bickered and in the end they always ended up smiling and laughing. Rose had been more willing than Emma to have real conversations or even try and talk to her, but Mary Margaret realized that if you earned on of their trusts, you earn the others.

They had so much to be desired. It was amazing how smart they were, also how eager they were to teach Mary Margaret sign language. It didn't take long realize what an honor it was to be taught a language that was seemingly exclusive to the girls. It was like they were letting her into their own secret world that they kept from so many others.

They way Rose would look at her sometimes, so expectantly and with so much trust and faith it almost scared her. Emma on the other hand was less becoming. Sometimes it took a lot more prodding to earn the smile from Emma than Rose, but it made it worth that much more. They were such great kids...

Still, she was concerned for both of them. Rose would turn off her hearing aids and sit for hours with the book of fairy tales in her lap. Sometimes it would seem like she, herself, was in another land along with her stories. Emma would engulf herself with music so loud Mary Margaret could hear the pounding from her headphones from across the room.

They had only recently started school and they made friends, but they never allowed to get very close.

"Breakfast at Granny's?" Mary Margaret asked as Rose bounced down the steps followed by her sister who was not a morning at all.

Rose stopped and glanced at her sister. Emma groaned and translated with her hands what Mary Margaret has asked. Immediately, Mary Margaret frowned at Rose. "Where are your hearing aids?" She tried to make her hands follow her words, but was far from fluent.

Rose just smiled at the poor attempt and showed her the correct sign for her words before pointing to the table next to Rose's favorite chair. She grabbed them and tucked them into her ears and flipped them on. It was like a completely different world with such simple actions.

"Granny's sounds good," Rose chirped as her sister groaned in her crankiness.

Mary Margaret smirked as both girls tugged on their jackets over their school uniforms. Emma's long blonde hair was braided back away from her face while Rose's dark hair was pulled back from her face in a half-up do that was simple and casual.

As they walked down the sidewalk, the girls trailing a few feet ahead of Mary Margaret. Emma was starting to wake up now and was joking about something that had happened in their math class the day before.

"Ah, if it's not the girls I've been hearing about for the last couple weeks."

Mary Margaret suddenly reached out and yanked the girls back toward her without her brain registering what she was doing. The girls instinctively fell into her and stayed close as a dark haired woman clad in business attire and perfect red lipstick smiled-no _smirked_- down on the girls.

"Emma and Rose, right? Who's who?" The woman seemed to be friendly enough, but the tight grip on their wrists from Mary Margaret was enough for both of them to know otherwise.

"I'm Rose," the dark haired girl announced in a small voice that made Mary Margaret want to hold on to the girl tighter.

"And I'm Emma," the blonde added much stronger than her sister.

"And I'm Mayor Mill, Regina Mills," the professional woman said with a coy smile.

Rose seemed to pale a bit, but Mary Margaret may have been just been imagining things.

"Well, we're going to breakfast before school, so if you'll excuse us..." Mary Margaret offered the mayor a polite nod before maneuvering the twins past her on the sidewalk.

"She's nice enough," Emma muttered sarcastically as the hold on her wrist loosened.

It was actually very surprising Emma even allowed herself to be pulled as close as she did. Rose it wasn't so surprising, Emma though... Emma had a lot of walls that the last couple of weeks hadn't had a large effect on. They were weakening, a little at a time, but they were still definitely there.

Rose seemed careful, but she really wanted to open up to Mary Margaret. There were times where she would open her mouth to say something, but clamp it shut again.

"Pancakes today, girls?" Ruby asked as the three of them took their usual booth. "Or may oatmeal?"

"How about a waffle for me?" Emma said not even looking at the menu.

"How about banana pancakes?" Rose asked hopefully as Ruby nodded and wrote down the order.

"Just hot chocolate today, Ruby. Thank you."

The girls both shot up to add something when Ruby laughed. "I know. Three hot chocolates with cinnamon. Don't worry, I won't forget the cinnamon."

The girls relaxed back into the booth and Mary Margaret looked thoughtful. It was certainly odd that they all like cinnamon in their hot chocolate. She was sure it was more common than she thought it was, but how the only three people in town that had that order were two orphaned twins and her...

As usual she decided to not think too much on it.

Rose on the other hand was very caught up in the similarities she and her sister shared with Mary Margaret. The cinnamon thing was one of many eerily similar quirks they shared along with an allergy to watermelon and the cowlick on the back of their head. Okay, well only Rose had the cowlick but it was still weird.

The more things she learned, the more she opened her eyes to the town, the more she could see the characters in her book. Mary Margaret-Snow White, Ruby-Red Riding Hood, Mr. Gold-Rumplestiltskin, Mayor Mills- the Evil Queen, Granny- well.. Granny was Granny. But they were all there.

But sometimes Rose was also sure she was losing her mind. How could her mother being speaking to her if she was cursed. Maybe it had something to do with true love or maybe just a mother's love, but either way Mary Margaret was their mother. The voice that spoke to her when her hearing aids were off or out was Mary Margaret's voice.

"I'm taking my class to the hospital today to do a bit of cheering up," Mary Margaret began pulling Rose from her thoughts and earning her attention. "I can talk to your teachers and if you promise not to fall behind on your work, you can come with me."

"Anything to get me out of Mr. Hansen's literature class," Emma groaned shaking her head. "He reads Romeo and Juliet like it's the most beautiful piece of literature known to man."

Mary Margaret looked at Emma. "Well it is a very classic love story."

"It's not a love story. It's a story of teenage lust and societal stupidity," Emma said dryly.

"And how two people's careless actions can cause so much pain for other people, including death," Rose added with a nod.

"Not a love story-"

"Or a good example-"

"-for such moldable, fragile minds of fourteen year olds."

Both girls nodded and Mary Margaret almost laughed about how much thought they had put into it. She had a feeling they were much smarter than they let on sometimes and liked being underestimated by people.

The mugs of hot chocolate were placed in front of them and the immediately grabbed for them. Emma had decided she really like living with Mary Margaret. She wasn't like other people they had lived with, that was for sure. But she was very nervous.

She and her sister had always be close, closer than close. They were all they had ever had. But now Rose seemed to be hiding something and Emma really wasn't sure how to confront her about it. But as usual, tact was never her strong suit.

As they parted ways from Mary Margaret to walk into the high school, Emma yanked Rose aside, dragging her behind the steps.

"What's going on with you?" Emma snapped as Rose blinked, obviously confused by her sister's outburst.

"I'm sorry?"

"You've been acting so weird lately. Like, since we came here. You're always turning off your hearing aids and reading that book."

Rose's face darkened as she stared deep into her sister's eyes. "I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you."

Emma was taken aback by her sister's resistance. They told each other everything. "Try me," she replied crossing her arms and looking at her sister.

Of course Emma would react like that. She wasn't happy about any secrets being kept from each her, and Rose would probably be just as angry if Emma was the one with the secret. But this wasn't _I kissed Luke behind the bleachers_ type of secret. This was a secret that was a lot to ask to believe, even from her sister.

"Fine. But not now. We're already going to be late for class."

Rose pulled away from her sister and hurried up the stairs before her sister could say anything else. She kept her hearing aids off in class and her head low so the teachers wouldn't call on her. Instead she continued adding to her list of characters and their Storybrooke identities that she kept in the front cover of her book.

"Rose?" the Ms. Hanson called to the girl who sat with her head down. The girl made no movement to look up at her, just kept writing. "Rose Swan?"

The boy to Rose's right nudged her arm and her head shot up, looking confused as she clicked on her hearing aids. "I'm sorry?"

Ms. Hanson smiled at the girl knowing the girl likes to tune out the rest of the world on her own accord. "You're free to leave. Miss Blanchard and her students are waiting for you outside."

Rose nodded, her cheeks crimson with embarrassment. Snatching up her backpack and rushing to the door, she nearly ran right into her sister by the door. "You should keep your hearing aid on while you're in class."

Rose held her tongue, but she really wanted to snap at her sister. Sometimes she just wanted to snap at her sister when she told her what to do, especially when it had to do with her hearing. Maybe it was the slight envy that Emma had perfect hearing, her ears weren't damaged at all from the cool air that night.

For a moment, both girls forgot how much they hated hospitals, but it was a rude reminder when they walked through the doors. Emma could feel her sister go as rigid as her. It had been a while since they had stepped foot in a hospital but the feeling didn't change. There was dread, even panic, that pulse through their veins as they walked through the halls.

Mary Margaret looked back to see the girls seemingly stuck in the doorway. Emma, being the stronger of the two, threw up the walls and the stony expression. For Rose it took longer. She shyly took a step past the door and seemed stuck again. Then Mary Margaret watched Rose do what she always seemed to do when she was scared or nervous. She reached up to her ears and turned off her hearing aids.

The girl found comfort in her silence.

For a moment, Mary Margaret couldn't help but find it just the same as her sister's walls. Still, it was brave to endure the silence alone.

Emma looked into the glass room where a man slept, hooked up to monitors and tubes. He looked like he was sleeping, but from experience Emma knew very well that no slept that peacefully in hospitals.

Rose appeared beside her and also looked in on the man.

_Charming..._ the soft voice gasped sounding heartbroken. Rose's hand pressed against the glass as she looked in on the man as Emma also seemed strangely interested in the man.

But Rose didn't hide behind the glass and look in. Motioning toward her sister, she pushed through the door before anyone could stop her. The curse did this, and any curse could be broken.

"Rose, we shouldn't be in here," Emma snapped as her sister ignored her tugs and pulled her story book. "Seriously? I think he's probably heard some stupid fairytales before."

Rose looked furious. **-Will you shut up and read?- **she signed.

Emma gave her sister a look and grabbed the book out of her hands. As she turned the pages, Rose slapped her hand down on the book to earn her sister's attention again. **-Read to him.-**

The look Emma gave Rose was matched with one of her own. There was no point in arguing.

Emma took a deep breath and looked down at the first page. "Once upon a time..."

Mary Margaret watched as the girls sat next to the man on the bed. She could tell by Rose's glances that her hearing aid were still off and she had to be sure her sister as still reading. Emma seemed to be falling deeper into the enchantment of the book as she read. The furrow of her brow revealing just how much she was really getting into the stories.

A couple hours later, Mary Margaret returned to see the girls hadn't really move. They were still sitting there reading, Rose's head resting on Emma's shoulder as they both looked at the pictures in the book.

"Girls, it's time to go," she called to them gently as she opened the door. Apparently Rose had decided to join them again in a world with sound because she was the first to look at Mary Margaret and smile. God, she loved that smile.

Emma closed the book and stood up. Together the three of them walked out of the hospital, following the class of fourth graders down the block to the school.

"Mary Margaret, I think you should read to John Doe sometime," Rose said suddenly, earning a surprised look from both her guardian and her sister.

"And why is that?" Mary Margaret asked the girl.

Rose shrugged. "I just think it would be nice."

Regina stormed into Mr. Gold's pawnshop and slammed her palms on the glass case. Her short raven hair was tousled from her urgent steps and her eyes were blazing with anger. Of course, none of this phased Mr. Gold in the least. In fact, he took humor in it.

Not looking up from his handy work of replacing the jewels in a small charm, he smirked.

"I take it you met them," he mused as he carefully placed one of the tiny diamonds into it's carved spot.

"They're children. You said twenty-eighth year!"

On that, Gold stopped his work. "The future is an odd thing. It's not always as it seems. Fourteen plus fourteen does equal twenty eight."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I can feel the curse unraveling already. They're living with their mother! It's only a matter of time before-"

The look Gold gave him was purely Rumplestiltskin. "Before the curse shatters? You should be concerned, dearie. One of them even knows what's going on."

Fear stopped Regina's heart for a beat as she looked at Gold. "What do I do?"

There was a cackle of evil the choked out of Gold's throat. "You have chosen your battle, dearie. Are you truly afraid of children."

But they weren't just children. They were Snow White and Prince Charming children. They were the saviors.

The twins were alone in their room, changing out of their school uniforms and into their after school clothes so they could go help out at Granny's. Emma looked at her sister as she pulled her hair out of the braids.

"So, what's the big secret? The one you couldn't tell me this morning cause we were going to be late?" Emma asked.

Rose sat on her bed twisting her hair back from her face again. Emma always envied the way Rose could do absolutely anything with her hair. Emma didn't have the skill Rose did, but Rose would always offer a hand to her.

"You'll think I'm crazy," she muttered, unable to face her sister.

Emma smirked. "I already _know_ you're crazy."

But her sister found no comfort in her jest. "I'm serious, Emma. I would think I'm crazy. I almost do think I'm crazy."

Emma looked at the book that was laying on the table between their beds. "You believe in the book don't you?"

The shock on Rose's face was quickly answered by Emma holding up the folded piece of names that she had been working on.

"Rose..." Emma said gently, walking over to her sister.

There was that tone, that tone Rose hated so much. It was that horrible mothering tone that Emma felt the need to use. Like Rose needed to be handled gently because she couldn't handle the world like Emma could. Emma is stronger, Emma is better, Emma needs to protect her fragile, deaf sister.

These were the times where they may have not known who was the oldest, but Emma certainly assumed she was.

"If you don't believe me that's fine. I wouldn't ask you to," Rose snapped, yanking the paper from her sister's grasp and stuffing it in her pocket.

"Mary Margaret being Snow White, Snow White being our _mother_. You're doing this because you just want a Mom, Rose. I know, I want one too and I like Mary Margaret but this-" Emma motioned to the book and the paper Rose clasped so close to her hear.

"Is crazy. I know. Just forget I said anything," Rose snapped, grabbing her book and her backpack.

She pushed past her sister and moved toward the steps, trying to ignore the tears burning in her eyes and the lump growing in her throat.

"Rose," Emma called chasing after her as her sister reached for the door. She grabbed her sister's arm before she could escape. "Rose, I didn't say that."

"But you're thinking it. I'm not like you, Emma. I'm not cold and protected and you can stop trying to protect me!" Rose snapped jerking herself free. "Just leave me alone."

Emma frowned. "No! Rose..."

"God, Emma, you're not my mother!" Rose snapped so angrily that Emma actually took a step back. "You've been damn sure to remind me that we don't have one." W

With that, Rose spun around and the door slammed shut, leaving Emma behind frozen in shock. Mary Margaret came running out from behind the curtain separating the living area from her bedroom.

"What happened?" Mary Margaret questioned noticing the wateriness of Emma's eyes.

Emma's sadness quickly turned to anger as she stomped her foot. "She's so- she needs to grow up!" And suddenly Emma was rushing up the steps to solitude as well, leaving Mary Margaret wondering what had just happened.

Tears were running down Rose's face as she halfway ran down the block, heading nowhere. At least that's what she thought before she found herself at the hospital entrance. Angrily wiping her tears away, she stepped through the doors and breezed past the receptionist at the front desk. No one even stopped her as she went straight to John Doe's room and sat on the end of the bed.

"Emma won't believe me, but I know it's true," Rose told the man who laid on the bed. "But I know who you are. I know what's going on. But I need someone to believe me."

Tears continued to roll down Rose's cheeks as she leaned closer to the man in the bed. "I need you to wake up, Daddy."

She pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead, the way she had imagined her own parents doing to her while she slept. Tears fell onto his face from her cheeks as she pulled away and buried her face into the white sheet of the bed.

Sobs choked her as she sat there with her face buried in the bed. But then, she felt someone's hand gently touch her hair.

_**I know, a bit of a cliff hanger, but I told you I'm changing the course of the curse a bit. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I would love some reviews. **_


	4. Awake

First it was Emma, then it was Dr. Whale. Rose truly felt like her voice was definitely going unheard lately.

"But he _did! _He moved, Mary Margaret, why won't anyone believe me?"

There was so much hurt in voice that it made Mary Margaret's heart break for her. "Rose, I'm sure you believe you saw something-"

Emma just sat there, watching her sister. Rose would never cry in front of Mary Margaret, she was suppose to be stronger than that. Still, as tears swelled in Rose's eyes she knew how upset she had to be.

"Maybe you fell asleep for a second," Emma offered earning a hellish look from her sister that silenced her immediately. It was obvious that Emma was not an ally to Rose right then.

Rose just grabbed her backpack and rushed up the steps, away from the doubt to the solitude of her bed and the world's silence. She crawled under her blankets, ripped out her hearing aids and buried her face in the white baby blanket that she still sought so much comfort in. Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the little piece of faith she had.

Emma didn't say a word as she climbed the steps after her sister. The very last person Rose wanted to see would be her, but hell, that's who she had.

Emma was bad with words, or feelings, or really anything that would help someone that was upset. Rose was always the one who knew what to do. She knew when to hug or when to let them have their space. Emma... Emma just knew that she cared about her sister.

"Rose?"

Even though her hearing aids weren't in, Rose still knew her sister was there. "Go away!" she choked. "Just leave me alone!" There was a moment of sniffles before her voice grew more fragile. "Please, Emma. Not right now..."

No matter how much Emma wanted to comfort her sister, she knew crowding her right now would only make matters much worse. It was weird for her to have to be the comforting sister and in way it scared her that Rose, the Rose that never met a stranger and would read to the little kids their first night in a new home with them.

Rose wasn't someone who wanted to be alone.

Mary Margaret sat at the bar with a two cups of hot chocolate, a stick of cinnamon sticking out of both. Emma stopped at the base of the steps and looked at the woman waiting on her. "I don't want to talk about it," she grumbled.

It may have sounded like the truth, but Mary Margaret knew better.

"No talking. Just hot chocolate," Mary Margaret agreed with a gentle smile.

Emma looked at her skeptically before dragging her feet over and planting herself on the barstool. She watched as Mary Margaret calmly sipped her hot chocolate, pretending that she knew nothing of the sisters' fight.

Emma would never admit it, but she really appreciated what Mary Margaret did that night. Even though she didn't say anything, it was nice to know that someone was there. Eventually she moved to the couch, still hating herself for how hurt Rose looked.

_They were young. Eight maybe, if that. It was just another crappy foster home over crowded with kids. Rose could have been in a better home, well at least a different home, but she refused to leave her sister. Instead she did her best with her hearing aids and tried to communicate with people as best she could. _

_Still, she was a target. She was different and the other kids saw that. _

_"Bobby Flannigan! Leave her alone!" Emma stormed up to the boy holding his sister's hair in his fist making mocking hand signals in her face. "You let go of my sister right now!"_

_Rose didn't turn to her, her eyes were still glue on the boy making hash hand signals in her face. "Only freaks talk with their hands. What's the matter? Can't hear me without these?"_

_Bobby held up the girl's hearing aid in his hands and she eagerly reached for them. "Give-me..." Her words were difficult to understand like they used to be before she really got used to speaking. _

_"Give-me," the boy mocked, trying to match her poor pronunciation. _

_Emma grabbed the boy by the collar and glared at him so harshly is she had magical powers it may have killed him. "I said leave my sister alone!"_

_"Your sister's a freak," Bobby spat. _

_No sooner than the words left his mouth, Emma's fist crashed into his jaw and sent him tumbling backwards, letting go of the hearing aids in the process. Rose nearly dove for her hearing aids, so afraid that someone would step on them and take away her only access to the rest of the world. _

_"Well you're a bully!" Emma snapped back standing tall between the boy and her sister. _

_"You and your freak sister won't ever get a home! Your sister's a freak! That's why your parents didn't want you! They probably thought you were a freak too," Bobby grumbled, pushing himself off the ground. _

_Emma nearly gave the boy another swing when Rose stood up and pulled her sister back. She pushed her hearing aids in her ears and forced Emma to look at her. But Emma was mad. She was beyond mad. She was ready to tear the boy limp from limp for what he had said about her and her sister. About their parents. About... _

_"You didn't hear what he said!" Emma cried, a couple tears escaping past their gates. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want to give him the satisfactory, but she also didn't want to admit how bad the words hurt. _

_"Yes, I did," Rose replied, tears in her own eyes. _

_The words felt too true. There were hundreds of nights Emma stayed awake wondering if something wasn't wrong with Rose if their parents would have came back for them. They couldn't have known at the beginning, but when they realized they made a mistake and they came back for them... No one wanted a kid who couldn't hear and they couldn't take one without the other... could they?_

_Emma flung her arms around her sister and cried. At that moment she didn't wonder how hard it had to have been on Rose, her own pain was too great to think of much else, but now that she was older, that was one of the many times she couldn't imagine being her sister._

"Rose always says that I take care of her, but that's because I had to," Emma said suddenly as Mary Margaret pulled a couple blankets out of the chest at the foot of her bed. She knew very well that Emma was not willing to sleep in her own bed that night and she might as well be comfortable on the couch.

"It was hard for her, having hearing aids and kids making fun of her. She pretended like it didn't both her but-" Emma looked at Mary Margaret, "-it _had_ to bother her."

Mary Margaret looked at the girl who seemed to completely lack an understanding for her sister apathy to her own bullying. "Why? Because it bothered you?" she questioned Emma softly, watching as the girl's face registered surprise first, then frustration.

"Of course it bothered me, I'm her sister! Anything she needed I was always there. She was the one that wanted parents. I could live without them." Lie. It was definitely a lie. Emma wanted to believe it was the truth, but it was a bold face lie that Mary Margaret saw straight through. "She wants to make these ideal situations up in her head and she wants me to play along, but I'm tired of her kid games. Our parents aren't coming back and if they wanted to find us they wouldn't have made it so hard to look."

Emma's frustration was morphing into sadness and she was doing her absolute best to hide it. She was afraid her sister would get hurt again and though Rose tried to hide her own pain, it affected Emma just as intensely. It wasn't fair that Rose shared her pain, even unintentionally.

"What's so wrong with having ideals?" Mary Margaret asked the girl. "Even if they never happen, it's nice to dream."

She watched as Emma pulled her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Kids like us... dreaming isn't something that we can really afford because eventually we all wake up."

The melancholy words of a fourteen year old nearly ripped out Mary Margaret's heart. She couldn't recall a single such heartbreaking words ever being spoken before. She wanted to reach out to the girl, tell her... tell her something that would make her feel safe and wanted. Somehow, she just wanted Emma to know it's okay to dream.

"Not all dreams end when you wake up," Mary Margaret said softly, watching as Emma's eyes gleamed with unshed tears. "Sometimes it's just the beginning of a different one."

Emma shrugged, never making eye contact with her. "I try not to dream anymore. Too many nightmares..." She sighed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "I think I should go to sleep. Ya know, school in the morning."

Just like that, Emma was crawling back into her shell, a place where she will do her best to pretend the conversation she had just had never actually took place and she never truly exposed herself to another temporary person in her life. As she buried herself in the blankets, she watched as Mary Margaret reached for the light.

For a brief second she hesitated. "In this house, I'm a pretty big supporter of dreams. So if you ever need a few tips, you know where to find me."

Emma wiped away another tear that came a little too close to falling and sunk deep into the covers. She was beginning to realize a truth she never had before... maybe she was a little confused who took care of who when it came to her and her sister, she just hadn't quite realized that Mary Margaret was going to take care of both of them from now on.

...

His head throbbed and even though the lights were dimmed if felt like he was looking straight into the sun as he tried to open his eyes. His limbs felt heavy and his body had an odd aching like he hadn't moved in years.

Memories of two different lives hit him like a brick wall as another wave of pain throbbed in his temples. His hand flew to his forehead as he tried to sort out the memories. There wasn't a question of which ones were real. He knew...

_"I need you to wake up, Daddy..."_

Like a bolt of electricity, David shot straight up in the bed and pulled off the blankets.

_"Daddy..."_

The fragile, small voice had his heart pounding like a bass drum in his ears. His bare feet started moving shakily on the cold tile floor. It was like he was trying to remember how to walk. He had no idea how long he had been in that bed, but he had a feeling it was longer than he wanted to actually think about.

The curse had been broken. Rose and Emma were in Storybrooke and Snow...

"Snow," he whispered, his mind a jumble. Suddenly his vision started to get fuzzy and his knees buckled. Maybe rushing out of bed wasn't the brightest idea...

Before he could take another step, his vision went black and his body landed hard on the floor.

The moment Dr. Whale arrived early the next morning, he was bombarded with information of what had happened the night before. John Doe was awake.

As he rushed into the room, he saw the man sitting up in the bed looking thoroughly annoyed even through his sleepy eyes.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Dr. Whale quipped pulling his pen light out of his pocket and checking the man's pupil response. "Can you tell me your name?"

The man had been waiting for this question. He had been watching the nurses and nuns whisk around him, muttering whispers about him waking up, but none of them knew his name. Even Mother Superior, who he knew very well as the Blue Fairy, did nothing but pray over him as he fake slumber.

"David Nolan," he replied, slightly disturbed how easily the name rolled off his tongue. It took years for him to get used to being called Prince James, much less calling himself such, but being David Nolan was easy.

"Do you have any family we need to inform?" Dr. Whale asked as David shuffled a little.

"I'm separated from my wife." The term almost made him cringe as the woman named Kathryn with the face of Princess Abigail flashed through his mind. Then his mind went to Snow. His heart ached for her, a way too familiar ache.

Dr. Whale just continued running tests, checking reflex response, along with balance and even doing a blood test for good measure. "I can't believe that kid had it right," he muttered as he pulled the needle out of David's arm.

Kid? "What kid?" David asked, trying not to sound overly eager.

The doctor barely casted him a look over his shoulder. "This girl. Foster kid, staying with one of the elementary school teachers. She came in last night, said she was reading to you when you reached out to her. She was pretty upset when we didn't believe her..."

If the doctor was trying to sound like he felt something for the girl, he fail miserably. David's own heart was pounding when he forced himself to sit up straighter. "Can I meet the girl?" he said too eagerly, making Dr. Whale look at him with surprise. "I mean, she was right after all, wouldn't it be fair to show her I'm okay?"

After a moment of consideration, Whale shrugged. "I'll make a call."

Actually, he made two calls.

Mary Margaret put down her phone on the kitchen counter and couldn't deny the surprise she felt as well as the guilt. It broke Rose's heart to know that no one believed her and now that they knew she was right, well, she felt like she had personally shut Rose out.

For once, Emma was the first one ready for school and breakfast at Granny's, probably because the couch is not an easy place to sleep, but Rose would be down soon enough. Emma glanced at Mary Margaret who continued to stand, bracing herself with one hand on the counter as she stared off into space.

"What's up with you?" she grumbled. Emma was always grumbling in the mornings and usually she stayed fairly grumbly until they ate breakfast.

Mary Margaret's attention snapped back to Emma, but only for a second before she heard the familiar galloping of Rose's feet heading down the steps.

"Sorry, I'm ready," Rose announced with her long dark curls completely free and falling down her back. Her tone was still hinged on sadness and betrayal, which was why Mary Margaret wasn't sure how she was going to take the news.

"Rose, the man you were reading to last night..." Two pairs of eyes were suddenly locked on her. "He's awake and he was wondering if you'd visit him."

A big smile spread across Rose's face that quickly turned into a smug grin as she crossed her arms and looks at her sister. Emma was speechless. What could she say?

"Well_ you_ can start with an apology," Rose announced to her sister as though she had just read her mind.

Mary Margaret jumped in first. "I am so sorry I didn't believe you, honey. I knew how upset you were when you left-"

But Rose shrugged at her. It didn't bother her that Mary Margaret didn't believe her, she was used to adults shrugging her off to being a foster kid searching for attention. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at _her_." Obviously she was referring to her cranky sister. "She's the one that's suppose to believe in me."

Emma just rolled her eyes and snatched her backpack up. "Whatever."

The whatever was weak and Rose just smiled. Sorry wasn't a word in Emma's vocabulary, but she knew that her sister was feeling pretty bad about it and she'd make it up to her somehow.

Rose turned her attention back to Mary Margaret. "Can we go now? _Please_."

Those hazel eyes had an effect on her that none of her fourth graders could ever successfully attempt. "You'll miss first period, _I'll _miss first period," Mary Margaret tried to argue but came up short when a flash of disappointment came over Rose's face. "But I guess... I guess this is a fair enough excuse." It's not every day that someone wakes up from a coma and asks to see your foster daughter.

Mary Margaret had prepared a bouquet of flowers, the very same bouquet that she had been preparing for John Doe since she had begun her rounds at the hospital. Rose and Emma stuck close behind her, but even closer to each other. More than anything Rose wanted to look at the man who she was so positive was her father and make him tell Emma that she wasn't crazy. That this unholy little town was cursed. That he was Prince Charming and their mother was Snow White. That's what she wanted.

But as they walked toward the room, they were surprised to see Sheriff Graham and Mayor Mills standing in front of the door having a harsh conversation.

"He doesn't want to see his wife and his wife confirmed that they had separated," Graham argued as Regina rolled her eyes.

"He doesn't know what he wants. He just woke up from a coma and the first thing he asks for is to see a teenage girl, who by the way should have never been here unaccompanied last night. He's obviously not in his right mind."

Regina glared over her shoulder at Mary Margaret and the two teenage girls in tow. "Well if it's not the little alarm clock herself."

Rose blushed and stepped a bit closer to Mary Margaret, wanting to hide behind her.

"We've just stopped by to give-"

"His name is David Nolan," Regina snapped at Mary Margaret before she could finish her statement. "Is that name familiar?"

Mary Margaret's brows creased together as she shook her head. "Should it be?"

Regina just shrugged, the anger never leaving her features. Dr. Whale cleared his throat as he stepped out of the room. "You can go in now, ladies."

It was very obvious he was not referring to Regina with his statement, but that didn't stop her from considering following the trio in.

David was sitting up in bed, but as he turned to greet the girl who woke him up, his heart leaped to his throat. "Snow?" he whispered so softly, no one heard him.

"It's good to see you awake, Mr. Nolan," Mary Margaret said with a smile, placing the flowers on the tray by the bed.

His heart broke at the realization that this woman didn't recognize him. His Snow was still trapped in the curse unaware of who they were and what they had together.

"Good to be awake Miss...?" David offered his hand out and watched as the woman's cheeks burned a light pink.

"Oh, Mary Margaret Blanchard, I'm teach fourth grade at the elementary school," she said quickly unable to keep her cheeks from burning even brighter.

"And are these two your daughters?" David asked looking at the two girls. They looked a lot alike, except for the hair and eye colors. The blonde stood tall like she was ready to take on the world all on her own while the dark haired girl seemed a little questionable about everything.

"_Foster_ daughters," the blonde cut in quickly, her voice filled with teenage attitude.

Mary Margaret gave David an apologetic look. "This is Emma and Rose." She motioned to which one was which and his heart started pounding again.

It was them. It was so obvious, even before she said their names. Rose looked like a young Snow and Emma... Emma had so many of his own features. Forcing his emotions away, he gave them a smile. A smile Mary Margaret would definitely classify as charming.

Rose stepped up, glancing at her sister before she took another step toward the hospital bed. "They didn't believe last night, but I knew you were waking up."

He voice was so soft and gentle that he couldn't help but reach out to her again. His hand barely rested on her forearm as those hazel eyes looked at him nervously. "Maybe you helped me wake up."

Rose gave him a shy smile, but didn't say a word. Sometimes her mind would fill up with things she wanted to say but she was always afraid of what they'd sound like when they actually left her mouth. But the way David Nolan looked at her, the way he looked at Mary Margaret and Emma... She was so sure.

"Can I... can I give you a hug?" Rose asked softly, making everyone in the room's heartbreak. Even Emma could hear the nervousness in her sister's voice and though she really couldn't understand her sister's reason for wanting to give this stranger a hug, the fear in her sister's voice was obvious enough to let Emma know that she would be completely heartbroken if he said no.

David looked up at Mary Margaret who was giving him a sad sort of smile, one that said that this question was a product of some sort of pain that Rose had experience. Then he looked into those hazel eyes. Those exact hazel eyes of her mother.

"Sure, kid-"

Before he could even finish the girl threw herself into his arms and hung on like she was afraid something was going to pull her away. Her eyes were squeezed closed as she took a deep breath. "Charming?" she whispered, right next to his ear.

His muscles went frigid when he realized what she was doing. She knew. She knew about the curse. His only response was hugging her tighter and tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

"Rose," Mary Margaret said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder as she continued to hold onto the man. "We need to go get breakfast so we can be at school by nine."

As she pulled away, she quickly wiped her eyes, barely glancing up to see that her father also had tears in his eyes. It was really him.

"Maybe you all could come back after school," David said, casting a hopeful look at Mary Margaret. "It gets kind of lonely in here."

She smiled at him. "That sounds great."

David then looked at Emma who was very plainly trying to read him. It was obvious she didn't trust him and she really didn't like that her sister had hugged him. He wondered what could make such a young kid so jaded, but he also realize he probably didn't want to think to hard about that.

All three of them offered him a wave as they left, even Emma. But the mood they had created, quickly vanished when Regina appeared in the room. His blood boiled as she gave him a sympathetic look.

"Mr.-"

"Save it, Regina," he hissed, his voice completely ice. His eyes met hers as she spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm awake."

A cruel sort of smile cracked on her lips despite her own fear burning in the pit of her stomach. "Then you should probably be afraid of me then."

David just shook his head at her. "Why? You and I both know that the only people with magic here just walked out the door..."

...

Nervous sweat made her sticky as Regina burst through the door of the pawnshop, ignoring the closed sign. "Gold!" she shouted, storming through the store to the back room. "Gold!"

As she threw the door open, she found the old man bent over a table laughing so hard his face was red and his shoulders were shaking. If it was possible, Regina got even more angry as she stormed up to the man, getting nose to nose with him.

"I don't see why you're laughing!" she snapped.

"You wouldn't," he replied, drying his eyes from his laughing tears and straightening.

"Those girls! They're destroying my curse!"

Gold shrugged. "Just as they were born to do."

"You can't let them-" Regina began but Gold held up a finger.

"You can't stop them."

_**Thank you for all the reviews! I wouldn't mind some ideas if any of you have any. I made the mistake of planning things that happened after the curse is broken that I'm now struggling with the curse..**_


	5. Lucky One

Regina stared at her apple tree growing in her backyard as her mind raced. They were here and they had magic. Maybe not the type of magic Regina was familiar with, but she knew it was powerful enough to break her curse.

"What?" she snapped, feeling the presence behind her.

Graham just blinked at her. "I could ask you the same thing. I was just going to ask you if were interested in a bite to eat."

Her hands were in tight fists as she continued to glare out her window. "Where did those girls even come from?"

"Gold set up the whole thing, made the call to the social worker himself," Graham explained, moving toward her and placing his hands on her hips, lowering his lips to her neck.

But she wasn't in the mood. "So he brought them here!" she accused, not fazed at all by Graham's actions.

"Actually, they came here. He just helped them stay. I don't see why not, they're not causing any trouble. The whole town's practically in love with the things." His hands pulled at her silk blouse and slid underneath to barely graze the skin of her stomach.

Chills involuntarily shivered down her spine, but she didn't move her gaze and her train of thought kept on. "Don't remind me." She stepped out of his reach as she charged toward her den. "You should go, I have things I need to do," she insisted, words cold cut and harsh.

Graham just stared at her. Of course she was cold, cut throat, and very dry when it came to just about everything, but she was usually at least interested and willing. More often than not, she was the instigator. Now, she stood there with a stony expression, holding the door open for him to leave.

"Um. Okay?" But that was as much of a challenge he gave before moving toward the door. What the hell was going on with that woman.

It was just after two thirty when Mary Margaret came knocking on the glass door to David's room. He beamed at her, as he motioned her in.

She couldn't help but notice he was free from his hospital gown and was now wearing grey sweat pants and a plain white t-shirt that hugged his body just right. Her cheeks burned when she caught herself staring. "The elementary school lets out before the junior high. The girls should be out within the next half hour."

David shrugged, never losing his smile. "That's fine. Gives us time to talk."

Again, Mary Margaret blushed. There was just something about this man that made her stomach do flips and her palms sweat. He was... handsome and so, so _charming_.

"A little adult conversation? I'll gladly accept that after seven hours with fourth graders and going home to bickering teenagers," Mary Margaret quipped, but David could definitely hear the love in her voice when she mentioned Emma and Rose.

"Sisters bicker," David offered, watching as Mary Margaret took a seat across from him. "They seem like good kids."

"The best," she insured him, her smile widening at the thought of them. "They're... complicated. They try very hard to distance themselves from people, I'm assuming that's because of foster care and being moved around so much, and they'll kill for each other as quickly as they'd kill each other, but-" Mary Margaret sighed. "-I absolutely love them."

It was obvious that she did. David could tell that whoever this Mary Margaret was, because she was not exactly his Snow, these girls were bringing out their mother from being buried in the curse.

"Tell me about them," David probed.

She didn't hesitate. "Emma is tough. She's finally warming to me, but she has always taken care of Rose because of her hearing."

Suddenly David looked concerned. "Hearing?"

"Rose has sever hearing loss in both ears. I haven't asked too much about it, but she doesn't seemed to be bothered by it. She's acts like a normal kid when she has her hearing aids in. The girls have been trying to teach me sign language, but it's not nearly as easy as they make it look." When she turned her gaze back to David, she noticed that he still looked worried. She understood. When you first meet the girls, it's hard to imagine anything being wrong with them.

"She okay, really." Without thinking, she put her hand over his, igniting a surge of electricity through her body. He had to have felt it too, because he met her eyes.

For a moment they were silent, but Mary Margaret didn't remove her hand.

"So they're alright?" David asked, his throat feeling a little dry.

Mary Margaret swallowed hard as she removed her hand, immediately missing the contact. "I think they're more jaded than they let on. Sometimes Rose looks at me like she wants me make it better, or hold her, but she's so afraid of rejection... And Emma tries to pretend she doesn't need someone to tell her things are going to be alright, when it feels so obvious that she does." She tried to laugh at the emotional tears that were building in her eyes. "I cannot imagine why anyone would ever give them up."

David smiled. "Maybe so they could find you."

She laughed lightly and gave him a warm smile. "They definitely did that."

God he loved her smile and her laugh. He loved the way she looked when she talked about the girls. He loved her short hair and her modest clothing. "You're really beautiful."

The words came out before he could stop them and suddenly they both were blushing. He couldn't just say that like he could back home. He wasn't married to her in this world, they were basically strangers.

But as her cheeks burned a dark crimson, a sparkle of mischief flickered in her eyes as she glanced at him. "You're not too bad yourself."

They both laughed, filled with relief that not only the feelings were mutual, but it didn't take an awkward turn.

"Are we interrupting something?" Emma asked strangely, standing in the doorway with Rose behind her.

Mary Margaret reacted first. "Of course not. How was school?"

Emma rolled her eyes and dropped her backpack against the wall. "School."

Rose stayed close to the door and by the way she was exchanging looks with her sister, Mary Margaret knew very well they weren't on good terms. David could laugh about how much their glares reminded him of Snow's. She may love him, but he had been on the receiving end of those glares more times than he cared to admit.

"Someone care to tell me what's going on?" she asked them as the stood on opposite sides of the room.

Both girls crossed their arms, but remained silent.

"Emma's just being pompous," Rose snapped, pursing her lips.

"Rose is just being childish," Emma countered.

"I'd rather be childish than a sadistic pessimist!"

"I'd rather be pompous than a gullible idiot!"

They scowled at each other as Mary Margaret stood up, standing between them. "Woah. Someone want to tell me what's going on?"

Their silence was expected, but Mary Margaret crossed her arms as well. "I feel like this is the same argument from last night that left both of you in tears, so why don't we fix this now?"

"Because you can't fix stupid," Emma snapped toward her sister.

Mary Margaret pointed a scolding finger at Emma. "That is enough."

Both of the girls fell silent and Rose held on the straps of her backpack. "Someone going to tell me what's going on?"

The silence held and Mary Margaret nodded to herself. "Didn't think so."

David watched as Rose's softness returned first and then Emma's. "Sorry," they muttered together, but it wasn't toward each other.

After the tension continued to fade, David offered conversation. Mostly to Emma, knowing that she was going to be the difficult one's trust to earn. It was mostly small talk about school and music. She had this way about her. Everything she said was bit with sarcasm, even if it wasn't meant to be rude. Now she wasn't much like Snow, but maybe more like his father. It was fun to him to try and place where each piece of them came from.

She was only just beginning to warm to him when Mary Margaret announced they better be getting home for dinner. He hated to see them leave, but loved they way they looked together. Mary Margaret took her place of being their guardian very seriously. The girls were more trusting of her than anyone else, it was plain in their eyes, even if they weren't ready to admit it.

But as they mae it to the door, Rose hesitated, stopping short behind her sister and foster mother.

"Mr. Nolan?" she said softly, taking a few steps back and looking at the man sitting on the bed.

He looked up at his dark haired daughter with a smile. "Yes, Rose?"

"It's real, right?" she said vaguely. "I'm not crazy?"

He could see that she was begging for someone to give her some sort of confirmation. Perhaps it was the only thing he could do to make her feel better, she can know that someone believes her.

"The curse, you mean?" he ask, watching her eyes light up. "It's very real, kid. Rose Red, the curse is very real."

In weeks to come, her father's words are the only thing that kept her fighting and believing. She had someone's faith, even if it wasn't her sister's, but she'd still much rather have her sister's. It was going to be a struggle.

A struggle, but she wasn't alone.

David had been staying at Granny's for about a week. His face was now familiar to the town and he had even earned a few friends, one being the sheriff, which he inwardly joked would come in handy. He would meet Mary Margaret and the girls every other morning for hot chocolate with cinnamon, another trait they shared, and sometimes even walk with them to school claiming he needed to do his physical therapy for the day.

When the girls arrived and first began staying with Mary Margaret, she could feel herself changing. There was something inside her that took over and an instinct to protect the girls had begun burning in her. Then a few weeks later David came into their lives and her life started to tornado into a whole new light. She wondered if she had been asleep all this time, because she sure hadn't lived before all this.

Rose took to David quickly and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous that neither of the girls were that attached to her. But slowly Rose came to her too, and Emma definitely chose Mary Margaret over David, but he was slowly starting to win her over.

But David had definitely won Mary Margaret over. It was Friday evening and they had all finished up dinner at Granny's. Surprisingly enough, the twin dynamic duo had been able to convince Granny to make the four of them a pepperoni pizza. How they did it, Ruby wasn't even sure, but apparently the charm of those two girls was enough to bring even Granny to her knees.

Rose stuffed another bite of pizza in her mouth as Emma kept going on about how it was the best pizza she had ever tasted. "Seriously. Granny should put this on the menu," Emma moaned in delight.

"Absolutely not!" Granny called from behind the counter waving her ticket book at them. "That is a onetime thing."

Ruby rolled her eyes and leaned down toward the girls. "Until next time."

They all laughed and David snatched another piece. "I still don't know how you managed this."

Emma smiled. "Apparently we have natural charm."

Rose and David made eye contact across the table and both started laughing.

Mary Margaret smiled. "I can see it. You two are particularly hard to say no to."

Regina walked through the door of the diner to see the "family" sitting together, laughing. But they weren't who she needed to speak with... yet.

Moving through the diner she took a seat beside Graham at the bar and looked at him. "You haven't been around much lately," she nearly whispered to him. He never turned to her, just kept his eyes down at the auburn drink in hand.

"Been busy," he replied standing up and taking the darts off the counter.

Rose and Emma turned around in the booth as he dropped all but on dart on the top of their booth. David knew that his friend was very talented with darts, but he could also tell that he was not in a great place at the moment.

"Been busy?" Regina questioned him with disgust as Graham took aim and threw the dart, hitting the wolf on the wall right where the heart would be. Even in his mood, he still cracked half a smile when he heard the two girls wow in amazement. "What does that mean?"

"You tell me." Another dart was released, stabbing into the image of the wolf only millimeters away from the other.

Mary Margaret and David exchanged nervous looks as Regina crossed her arms.

"Is there something you want to say?"

Spinning around so fast it frightened the girls into slamming back down into their seats, Graham stared at Regina. "Yes: I'm trying to finish my game and drink. And when I'm through with this one, I may just have another."

Regina blinked at him in surprise before spinning around on her toes and running straight into Archie, one of the girls' favorite people in Storybrooke. He hit the ground hard, and in an instant David was out of the booth helping him up.

"Madame Mayor. I'm terribly sorry," Archie stuttered, brushing himself off as he got to his feet.

"Watch where you're going, _bug_," Regina hissed before storming past them to the door.

"It wasn't his fault. You should what where _you're_ going."

Everyone turned to see Emma standing there with her arms crossed glaring at Regina. Rose was still in the booth, but she looked displeased as well. "He apologized and you ran into him."

David was barely able to hide his smirk as the two girls both stood up to the woman so many people in this town were afraid of. Mary Margaret on the other hand was terrified. "_Girls!_" she hissed, even though she knew she'd be ignored.

Regina stared at the two children. That's what they were. Just children. "What was that?" she growled.

Before the girls could continue, Graham stepped up, moving in front of Emma. "You ran into him, Regina. It's only polite you apologize." The usual friendly Scottish accent was gone, replaced with ice.

Regina could not believe what she was seeing, but she knew when to pick her battles. Slowly, she turned back to Archie and apologized through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry, _Archie_. I should be more careful."

With that she gave the restaurant one more look around to see the entire place staring at her. She cleared her throat and shook her head. "I should be going."

No one stopped her, but as soon as that door closed behind her, Graham spun around and looked at Emma. His eyes so intense she was immediately frightened. "Listen to me. Regina is not an enemy to make, do you understand me?"

Emma couldn't find her words as Graham grabbed both her arms and shook her slightly. "Do you understand."

"Graham!" David called, pulling him away. Emma was so frightened she immediately went to Mary Margaret and didn't even flinch when she was engulfed in a hug. Her sister was also there in a second. "I think you've had too much to drink," David told him firmly, taking the glass out of his hand and putting it on the bar where Granny and Ruby were both glaring at him.

As though just realizing what he had done, he pressed his hand to his head. "Oh, God, I'm sorry. I-" He looked to see Mary Margaret staring at him with her arms around the twins. Both of them looked beyond frightened, and he didn't know how to make it better. "Girls... I'm so sorry."

Emma nodded at him. "It's okay," she said honestly, but she couldn't keep her voice from shaking. "You were just protective."

Rose gave him a weak sort of smile. "Like a guard dog."

David chuckled lightly and eventually Graham did too. "Still, I am so sorry."

Mary Margaret was the one who was having difficulty accepting his apology. "I think we should get going. The girls have to be up early if they really want to go to the stables in the morning."

It almost made her sad when the girls left her arms to say goodbye to David. Emma actually hugged him, which was new. David couldn't help himself when he hung onto her for a moment longer than expect before giving her a big smile.

Rose on the other hand was looking up at Graham with those curious hazel eyes. Suddenly she took a step forward and gave him a hug around his neck and a quick kiss on the cheek. No one even saw the kiss, but she could feel him go frigid and she pulled away quickly.

Rose quickly turned to David and gave him a big hug, unlike the quick one she gave Graham. "I don't know if it works..."

It was the only thing she whispered to him before she released her hold and moved out of the way for Mary Margaret to say goodbye.

"I'm sure we'll see you bright and early," she told him, trying very hard to hide the fact she was just as sad about leaving as she was happy about spending the next day with him.

David nodded, not yet noticing his friend's strange expression. "Bright and early."

Emma rolled her eyes, but grinned as Mary Margaret joined them on their short walk home. "You guys make me sick with your eye sex."

Mary Margaret stops in mid step, her mouth hung open but no words came out.

Rose giggled as both girls turned around to face her, continuing to walk backwards. "I don't think she's heard that word before," Rose giggled.

"What word? Oooohhhh you mean _sex_," Emma grinned mischievously as the girls turned back around. "Sometimes I forget she's a fourth grade teacher."

"Keeping up with two teenagers?" Rose gasped. "Poor woman."

"We should probably give her the talk? The birds and the bees." Emma put her arm through her sister's glancing back to see is Mary Margaret had moved at all. She was only a few paces behind them now, shaking her head.

Mary Margaret almost started laughing when the girls both stopped just in time to let her get right between them. They both put an arm around her shoulders.

"_Let me tell you 'bout the birds and the bees/and the flowers and the trees/and the moon up above_..." Now Mary Margaret was laughing as she hugged them closer. This night was definitely full of surprises. _"And this thing called love."_

They all three were giggling as they walked down the sidewalk safe in each other's arms.

David looked over at Graham who seemed to be very shaken. "Are you alright?" David asked, noticing the sudden sweat that was beading on his friend's forehead.

"What?" he shook his head then rubbed his face. "Yeah. Yeah. I think-I think I need to go home."

The man barely seemed able to walk, stumbling with his first step. There was no way David was letting this man drive home. "Let me give you a ride."

Graham only nodded as David put his arm under the man's shoulders to help him out to his truck. "David," Graham said suddenly looking extremely ill as the truck roared to a start. "Mary Margaret... Do I know her from somewhere?"

_**Sooooo... What do you think? :)**_


	6. Natural

Graham couldn't sleep. His body shiver as sweat rolled off him. His mind kept flashing to the vision of him holding a knife over Mary Margaret. And that wolf. His howl still echoed in his ears.

He stumbled into his kitchen, knocking the glass of water he had off the counter and not even registering the shatter it made when it hit the tile floor. His mind kept running through the images. Was he going mad?

Those hazel eyes flashed in his mind like they were reading through him. Rose. She was the one that was going to be able to help him.

Emma was a natural rider, David could see that from the moment she got on the saddle. Rose... Rose was still timid around the huge creatures. She was starting small.

"They're not going to hurt you," David promised as he moved toward her. "I'm sure you're a natural, just like your sister." Leaning in a little closer, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's in your blood."

But Rose shook her head. "Correction. It was in _your _culture," she replied nervously looked at the creature as she petted it. "My culture is car and trucks, not horses and buggies."

David chuckled as he offered his hand out for the horse's reins. "I'll cut you a break. But next time you have to at least get on the horse."

Rose pouted but agreed. Mary Margaret wasn't riding either. She seemed perfectly content with watching Emma and David trot around with her book "Withering Heights" in her lap, completely forgotten to be read.

She watched as Rose kicked at the dirt and started over to her. Mary Margaret knew very well that one thing that really bothered Rose was when her fear got to her. Emma did always act a little fearless when it came to things like horses, but extremely leery when it came to anything getting emotionally close. Rose was leery of both, but more likely to care about you quicker than Emma.

As the hazel eyes met Mary Margaret's, she immediately offered her foster daughter a loving smile and patted the spot on the bench next to her. Rose slumped into the spot with a heavy sigh. "I don't know why I'm so scared of them," she muttered looking up to see Emma laughing with David as their horses trotted together.

"Truthfully, I'm a little scared of them too," Mary Margaret told her and smirked when Rose's eyes got big. "What? I can't be afraid of horses?"

The girl seemed a little lost for words. "Well- I guess- it's possible. But you don't seem like you would be."

Mary Margaret just shrugged as she put her arm across Rose's tiny shoulders. "Just because Emma took to immediately and you didn't doesn't mean anything. I'm sure you've taken to things faster than Emma before."

"Not really," Rose replied sourly. Then she sighed. "Emma's a natural at _everything_."

"Maybe you are too," Mary Margaret argued. "You didn't even get up on the horse. You could be just as good at it.

Rose didn't bother to argue because she knew Mary Margaret may have been right. Still, her foster mother pulled her in closer and rested her head on top of hers. "You are just as special as Emma. Don't let anyone ever make you feel differently."

Rose just rolled her eyes like she didn't believe her and crossed her arms. "You have to say that," she huffed.

"And why's that?" Mary Margaret countered with a smile.

"'Cause you're our mo-"

"Rose!"

Rose immediately turned around to see Graham running toward her while Mary Margaret froze, unsure if her foster daughter had just said what she thought she said. Rose on the other hand, was mental panicking. How on earth could she have said something like that?! What the hell was she thinking? Thank _God_ for Graham.

He still looked drunk. His forehead damp with sweat and his eyes shot. When he came racing toward them, Rose was a little leery of what to do.

David had seen the man coming, and was already off his horse moving toward them. Emma had noticed as well but wasn't as quick about getting off her horse.

"Rose, I need to talk to you," he slurred, grabbing her arm. Mary Margaret grabbed her shoulders while David grabbed his wrist.

"Graham, you don't look well," Mary Margaret inquired, knowing that Graham was usually one person in town she could trust to have a level head and his heart always in the right spot.

"I think you need to slow down," David insisted, prying his hand away from Rose.

There was a moment of realization as Graham backed away. Emma was off to the side, curiously watching the whole scene.

"I just need to talk to Rose. It's really important." The strained attempt to keep his voice calm made Mary Margaret keep a tight grip on the girl's shoulders.

"What about?" It was an innocent question that seemed to give Graham hope, but also unsure how to answer.

David could see that his episode last night may have been more than a flash into the life he once led. The problem was, David wasn't quite sure who Graham was before the curse. He was a good guy with the curse, but obviously had something going on with Regina, but feared her just as much as the rest of them. Maybe they didn't technically fear HER but what she could do to them with her magic.

Looking over at Mary Margaret, David gave a reassuring smile before looking back to Graham. "Why don't you help us cool down Rose's horse?"

Seeming to understand, he nodded and Mary Margaret let up on her grip on Rose's shoulders. She trusted David wouldn't let anything happen to the girl.

Rose led the way to the stables, with David and Graham in tote. If Graham was suddenly deamed untrustworthy, Rose would be removed from the situation, but David honestly hoped that his friend would remain just that.

"So talk," David insisted as Rose grabbed a stool and a brush for her horse. Moonbeam was the horses names, but she couldn't really decide if she liked it. She liked the black and white colors but the name was still iffy.

Graham watched the girl in a way that David had difficulty assessing. "I keep having these... their like visions and I'm standing over Mary Margaret, but she had long hair and in a dress, with a knife and I know I'm suppose to hurt her, but I can't. And there's a wolf. With one red eye and the other-"

"Black as night?" Rose offered, not looking at him, but grinning.

Both David and Graham turned to her. "How did you know?"

Turning toward them, she hopped off the stool and went to her backpack. "I've read about it. You must be the huntsman."

David couldn't hide his own smirk as the girl pulled out the large book he so often saw her with. She turned to a page and turned it around for them to see. "The huntsman?" Graham repeated slowly.

The girl smiled. "You're really protective of Snow, or Mary Margaret, and I guess we go along with that. Emma and me."

Still, Graham seemed lost. "But I saw myself hurting Mary Margaret."

Rose shook her head insistantly. "You said you saw yourself ABOUT to hurt Mary Margaret, not actually hurting her. You couldn't do it, and when you returned to the Queen she ripped your heart out for failing. Queen Regina, also known as Regina Mills."

"That's-that's why I can't feel..." Graham gasped, reaching out for something to hold on as the information started to sink in.

"Because she has your heart. And you need to get it back." Rose smiled proudly and tilted her head. "I think you alredy know where it is, or at least the wolf does."

"But you can help me," Graham insisted only to find David shaking his head.

"You said yourself the girls need to stay out of the reach of Regina sending one in to help you find a heart is not the best way to do that. I'll help you," he told Graham, much to Rose's displeasure.

"Aww, come on," she complained. "Neither of you would be this awake if it wasn't for me."

David smirked at her. "And Mary Margaret would skin me alive if Regina got ahold of you while under my supervision. Then when she woke up, Snow would do much worse things than skin me, Princess."

The girl gave him a sort of pout. "I'm not your average fourteen year old, I can definitely take care of myself. Emma and I both have been doing it long before you or Mary Margaret came along, Your Highness."

The sarcastic snap at the end of her sentence took away some of the hurt from her words, but he wasn't about to let his fourteen year old daughter go looking for a heart. She and her sister may be the ones to break the curse, but they were not going to be put at unnessicary risk.

"You're not going. It's too dangerous. That's final."

"Not going where?" Emma asked suddenly appearing behind him with a curious furrowed brow.

"Huh? Uh-hiking! Up to the bluffs!" David lied, very poorly at that. "It requires some climbing and-"

"Rose is actually a really good climber," Emma told them. "She loves climbing. You should take her."

"Take who where?"

Rose nearly grinned. "David wasn't sure if I could go hiking and climbing to the bluffs."

Mary Margaret frowned. "I'm not sure that's such a great idea. I'm not saying that you can't do it, I'm saying I'm not very fond of the bluffs. It's a little dangerous for a fourteen year old girl."

David inwardly grinned at Rose's deflated expression. She was a stubborn one, that was for sure, but she was no match for Snow-eh-Mary Margaret.

Emma frowned and put her arm around Rose's shoulders. "We should find a good climbing spot. I'm sure there's something around here."

The sisters smiled at each other in a way that made David very proud to call them his blood. They cared very much about each other and they were probably quite the force to be reckoned with if someone messed with one of them. Love was definitely not something lacking between the two of them, but that was probably why their fights were so..._passionate_? Explosive.

"Are you done riding for the day?" David asked seeing one of the stable workers walking in Emma's horse.

"Might as well be. It's no fun riding alone," Emma retorted giving Graham an odd look.

Graham had fallen rather silent, but looked very uncomfortable. He probably was processing the bizarre news that he was actually a fairytale character, because it's not difficult to imagine the time it make take to wrap one's head around that fact.

Mary Margaret was the first to speak up. "Well, David, Graham, you're welcome to join us for lunch at Granny's if you'd like."

David immediately agreed while Graham seemed to have missed the question. When he looked up at her, his eyes seemed far away. "I think- I think I'm just going to go home and try-try to sleep maybe?"

It sounded more like a question than a statement but Mary Margaret nodded, not hiding her concern. "Okay, well, we'll see you later."

Emma couldn't help but wonder what really happened. As Rose walked toward to stable exit with David and Mary Margaret, she hesitate, watching as Graham took a few steps opposite from them.

He stumbled slightly and she hurried toward him to help.

"Are you okay?" she asked reaching out to catch his arm.

The moment her hand touched him, he jerked away and grabbed his head. She could see the pain all over his face as he hissed in a breath. She pulled her hand into her chest and stared as he calmed his breathing.

"Emma?" Rose called standing in the doorway as Mary Margaret and David strolled ahead. "You comin'?"

Emma nodded then looked at Graham. "Are you okay?" she asked again, this time not daring to touch him.

As the pain melted from his features, Graham stood a little straighter and smiled at the girl who was a good foot shorter than him. He seemed like a whole different person in his skin as he smiled at blonde teenager, nervously looking at him. "I'm fine. Now, I'm fine. Thank you."

Emma nodded nervously and moved toward her sister in the doorway. She could have sworn he whispered "Princess" after that thank you, but she didn't dare think too much of it. Something very strange was going on and Rose and David were in on it.

David and Mary Margaret walked a few yards behind them keeping up their endless game of flirting while Emma and Rose walked together in silence. Rose seemed very content with something, which was odd.

"You going to tell me what the hell all that was about?" Emma whispered, not wanting to be overheard by the adults.

Rose just smiled to herself before sending a look to her sister. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

Emma glared. "You can't know that unless you try."

Rose just shook her head. "I've already tried. Let me know when you're ready to have a little faith."

Now Emma was just getting mad. "You can't be serious. Your little fairytale theory? Rose-"

"What will it take you to believe?" Rose snapped.

Mary Margaret was now splitting her attention between David's flirting and the brewing argument between the girls.

The blonde sister rolled her eyes. "Proof for your ridiculous theory. You give me that, and I'll believe anything you say."

The devilish grin on Rose's lips spoke volumes. "Then we'll get evidence. Tonight."

There was something very disturbing about the girl's whispers now and Mary Margaret was positive she didn't like it. "What are you two going on about?"

With matching mischievous expressions, the glanced toward her and in unison replied, "Nothing."

Oh. That didn't sound good.

It was going on nine o'clock when the girls claimed exhaustion and climbed the steps to the loft. It was barely nine fifteen when they climbed down the tree and pulled their jackets around them and it was maybe nine sixteen when Mary Margaret decided to just wait for them. They would get an ear full when they returned.

"Mary Margaret's going to kill us," Emma muttered as they weaved through the trees toward the graveyard already feeling more guilty than she would have like to admit about lying to her guardian.

Though they both knew Mary Margaret would never actually harm them, they faced something that neither of them really knew how to deal with. The possibility of disappointing someone they cared about. "I know. I really don't want to see the look on her face either," Rose sighed sadly but didn't slow her pace. This was too important to turn around on because of a sudden guilt trip.

"I like her," Emma said suddenly, looking at her sister's silhouette in the moonlight. Her tone said more than her words.

Rose met her sister's gaze. Emma was trying to disguise how much the word _like_ really meant love. "I do too."

"What if she sends us away for this?" Emma asked, not hiding behind her emotionless walls like she usually did. It was just her and her sister. She didn't have to hide _all_ her fears especially since Rose probably had the same ones.

"She wouldn't!" Rose insisted. But then Rose hesitated, thinking about past experiences. "I don't think she would. She likes us. She... She wouldn't send us back..." Now it sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

"We can't go back," Emma replied weakly. "I can't go through another Mr. Peterson."

Both twins cringed as shivers ran up their spines at the memories.

"Mary Margaret wouldn't-she would never let..." Rose couldn't finish her sentence as she pulled Emma behind a tree to see Regina confronting Graham and David.

David was fuming, but then again so was Regina. She was so predictable. A hidden passage beneath the casket, very Regina. He had the heart, and there was no way in hell she was taking it from him.

"You two are not nearly as sneaky as you-"

"You leave them alone, Regina!" David demanded taking a threatening step toward the woman. "If you touch them-"

"You'll what?" she snapped. "You can't do anything, Charming. I'll see those girls dead before you break this curse."

Emma slapped her hand over her mouth as David pulled the heart from the box in his hand. It was glowing. Even Rose was shocked to see such a sight. "Those girls are going to break this curse and you know there isn't a way to stop them." With that he replaced the heart in the box as Graham glared at the woman.

Suddenly Regina snatched the box out of David's hands so fast that no one really saw her do it. "But I will take as many lives as I possibly can before they do."

She pulled the heart from the box and held it up. He grip tightened around it and Graham yelled out in agony. "This is your fault, Charming," she chuckled angrily. "You little friends will die because of _you_."

Graham gasped for air as his knees hit the ground.

"STOP!"

Rose was sprinting toward them before Emma could catch her. "Stop! Please!"

Graham's painful cries ended and all eyes were on the angry girl storming the woman with a heart in her hands. "Let him go," Rose demanded, sounding so much like Snow it surprised all of them.

"And why should I do that, Princess?" Regina hissed using the title to mock the little girl that held her head high and strong.

"Because I'll go with you if you give him his heart," she replied. Her voice only wavered slightly, revealing the fear that wasn't in her features. Emma rushed toward her sister, wanting to pull her out of her haze.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma snapped, grabbing her sister by both shoulders and shaking her slightly. "What the hell are we doing? We need to get out of here!"

"This is not your fight, Rose!" Graham gasped from the ground.

Rose pushed her sister away and marched up to Regina. "This is my fight. Give him his heart and I'll go with you. Isn't that what you want? A way to take away people's happiness? Give him his heart and you still win."

Emma stared at her sister. Who the hell was this person? Rose was the quiet one. The one that listened and acted silently. Who the hell was this girl giving up the best place she ever had for a fairytale?

"Will you get a grip?" Emma nearly yelled pulling her sister to face her again. "This is crazy!"

"We have to help them," Rose replied simply. "It's our job."

Emma shook her head violently. "No. We're fourteen. Our job is to finish high school, not to save a bunch of fairytale characters!"

Those hazel eyes that were normally gentle, burned with fury. "Will you open your freaking eyes? Ever since we got here things have changed. We're different. This is where we're suppose to be and we're suppose to help these people!"

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but the words never came.

David moved toward both girls. "Rose, you can't-"

"Deal."

Everyone turned to Regina to see her staring at the heart with an odd sort of look. "Deal. He can have his heart back and you will come with me."

Without another word she strutted over to Graham and shoved his heart into his chest. His body surge before collapsing onto the ground again with hard breaths.

David stood infront of the girls. "You can't have her!"

Regina moved past him. "She made the deal, not me. A little too much like her parents, that one. _Noble_. Definitely a questionable characteristic."

Rose grabbed Emma's jacket sleeve and demanded her attention. "Wake her up," she whispered as she took her first step toward the queen.

"What? Who? How?" Emma stuttered watching her sister go.

"Mary Margaret. Kiss her cheek," Rose replied in a hissed whisper as the queen kept walking.

"What?" Emma exclaimed as though her sister had lost her mind.

Rose's hazel eyes glared at her sister. "After all this, will you just have a little faith?"

"Come on, Rose," Regina commanded. "It's time to go."

David could only watch as Rose fell into step behind Regina. Emma was... overwhelmed. It all had happened so fast that she wasn't sure what really happened at all. Maybe she was dreaming. She pinched herself. No. Not dreaming.

"Why are you letting her go?" she desperate cried before she even knew the words were coming. Tears were rolling down her face as her mind was failing miserably at trying to decipher the situation. "You're supposed Prince Charming! You're supposed to be our father! You should have stopped her!"

David was broken, but he couldn't take his eyes off Rose as she followed Regina back toward the path. "She would have hurt more people, Emma." His reason was stupid and he knew it, but it was who they were. They sacrificed for the greater good. Spinning around, he grabbed his daughter's arms and kneeled to her level. "But we will get her back, Em. I promise, we will always find each other."

Emma didn't know why she believed him, but suddenly she was sobbing with her arms around his neck. "I need my sister," she choked through her tears. "I need my sister..."

The words were so small and sad that Graham broke with them. He sat on the wet grass staring at David and Emma, wondering why such a young girl would offer herself up for him. His was the family's protector and he had let the smallest charge take his battle.

It was nearly midnight when David carried Emma up the steps to Mary Margaret's apartment. She had cried herself into exhaustion and now David prepared to face a mother's wrath as well as mourning.

He knocked on the door and wasn't surprised at all when it swung open in less than a couple seconds. Anger melted to terror as David maneuvered past her and placed the sleeping teen on the couch.

There were so many questions as Mary Margaret stared at David with wide, horror filled eyes, but before she could ask any David pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his own voice cracking.

"Where is she?" Mary Margaret demand, pushing away from David and glaring at him through her own terror. "Where is Rose?"

The shuffling on the couch made Mary Margaret fall silent and rush to Emma's side. Was she injured? Her face was still sticky with tears as Mary Margaret stroked the girl's cheek.

"Mary Margaret?" Emma whispered, her bloodshot eyes cracking open as new tears began to form in her eyes.

"I'm right here, sweetie," the young woman replied.

Suddenly the girl threw herself into Mary Margaret's arms, not caring that she halfway fell onto the floor. The sobbing began again as David watched behind the couch.

_Have a little faith._

Rose's word crept into her head as Emma clung to a woman that for the past couple months had been the best mother she ever had. Squeezing her eyes shut she tried to make sense of her sister's ridiculous request. In the storybooks, curses, like the one Rose was so sure existed and Emma was slowly beginning to see (much to her displeasure), were broken by truelove's kiss. But that was between a man and a woman, not between a woman and her... child?

"Shh, it's okay," Mary Margaret cooed as the Emma kept sobbing.

"I want my sister..." Emma whispered this time to herself and not to the two adults witnessing her breakdown.

Mary Margaret was completely shocked when she felt the smallest kiss on her cheek from the least affectionate twin. But before she could think on it further, her head felt like it was spinning. One hand flew to her short locks as the other clung to Emma still. Images, voices, names, _memories_ all came rushing back to her so quickly it nearly knocked her over.

_Her Emma. Her Rose. _

Emma felt the hold Mary Margaret had on her tighten and in an instant she realized that Rose was right.

"Where's your sister, Emma?" Snow asked her daughter gently but firmly, glaring up at Charming over the girl's shoulder.

Emma continued to shake with her sobs. "Regina."

That was all she had to say. Slowly Snow pulled away and looked into her daughter's face that was so much like her father's. She was terrified and it pained Snow to let her go.

David could only watch as Snow snatched her coat off the back of a bar stool and pulled it on. "Stay with Em." He didn't dare question her as she marched toward the door and slammed it behind her.

Rose didn't say a word as she sat across from Regina at her oddly large dining room table. She assumed the woman didn't have very many dinner guests so the table just seemed excessive. The whole house was oddly clean, not a speck of dust anywhere. But it was hard to study the house when a very angry woman was staring at her.

She kept fidgeting with her hearing aids, a habit she had when she was bored, plus it was late and they were getting uncomfortable. Regina noticed this, but was even more interesting to her is that the girl revealed absolutely no fear. Sadness, yes. Fear, none. Not even a hint of it. She had just surrendered herself to the evil queen and was just bored.

"Are you not afraid of what I'll do to you?" Regina hissed making the girl turn to her again.

"Why? You won't hurt me," Rose said matter-of-factly.

Her tone threw Regina off as she snorted. "And how do you know that?"

There was a small smile playing on the girls lips as she spoke. "Because you have a heart and you feel more than you like to admit. Just as you can see that I'm _not _afraid, I can see how lonely you are."

Her perception infuriated the queen. "You don't know me at all," she sneered making the girl frown.

"Fine," Rose replied crossing her arms. "I just wanted to be your friend."

Before Regina could reply there was a loud banging on the door. It didn't take a sorceress to know what it was about. "Stay," she demanded harshly to the girl before vacating her seat and yanking the front door open.

She was, in fact, a little surprised to see a very angry Mary Margaret glaring at her. "I take it you're hear about Miss Rose Swan." The snarl was enough of an answer for Regina to continue. "I spoke with the girl's case worker and your place is simply, not-"

"Cut the crap, Regina," Snow hissed taking a dangerous step toward the woman. "I'm only going to ask this once. Where is my daughter?"

Rose beamed as she peeked around the doorway. Emma did it.

Regina pursed her lips. "I see you're awake."

"And angrier than you have ever seen me," Snow hissed through her teeth. "Where's my daughter?"

Rose stepped out of the doorway toward the two women. "I'm alright," she said, the softness in her voice returning at the sight of her mother.

Snow's hostility melted as she rushed to Rose, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her forehead. "I knew you could do it, my Rose," Snow whispered burying her face in her daughter's hair.

"But it's not done yet," she insisted pulling away from her mother. "And I can't go with you. Not yet." Snow was shocked to see Rose standing strong. "I have to stay here."

"No, you need to come home. Emma needs you," Snow told her youngest daughter, placing her hands on either side of her face, but Rose shook her head.

"I have to stay here."

Regina was stuck in the center of the room, struggling to contain her anger. Snow and Charming were awake. Graham was awake _and _had his heart. Her curse, her work was unraveling and she couldn't stop it.

"Get out." Her words were a broken sound that made Snow jump and pull Rose closer. "Get out!" Regina demanded again, taking a step closer to them. "GET OUT!"

Snow wasn't sure what was happening but she wasn't about to question it. Rose on the other hand pulled against her mother as she tried to drag her to the door. "You need me here, and you know it," Rose called to Regina as she stormed deeper into her house. "Please, let me stay!"

Snow could not believe her ears as Regina stopped on the steps. Her eyes were deadly as she glared down at the little girl. "Go. NOW!"

Snow did not wait for another command. She grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her out the door and did not stop until they were half way down the block. Snow was shaking, but Rose seemed deflated.

"What on _Earth_ were you think, Rose?" Snow demanded, her own fear for her daughter getting the best of her as she was fighting with herself not to pull the girl into another hug.

"She needs help too," Rose muttered. "She's cursed too."

Snow was shocked by the girl's words and the anger part of her fear melted away. She couldn't hold back any longer, she pulled Rose into a hug and didn't want to let go. "That was not how I imagine our reunion," Snow muttered, attempting a joke.

Rose wrapped her arm around her mother and let out a dry chuckle. "You were always with me."

Snow though of what Rose had said about her sister earlier that day, claiming that Emma was a natural at everything and Rose was the one that couldn't do anything right. But how wrong the girl was. Rose was a natural savior, a power she embraced much easier than her sister.

_**Sorry for the delay, classes started back up Monday and I've been doing an odd juggling act since. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I took a few risks here and there. I'd love to hear what you think. **_


	7. Lonely

Regina stormed through her home, tears brimming in her eyes as she slammed the door to her bedroom. Snow White would always get her happy ending and Regina... She was alone. It was hard to admit how much that hurt.

She had lost Daniel, she had lost her father, and now she lost Graham.

Rose was right. Regina was cursed.

Her mind shot to a possibility. Maybe the girls were the key to breaking her curse as well.

Rose burst through the door of the apartment and immediately threw her arms around her sister standing in the kitchen nearly knocking both of them over. She was giggling, like the happiest girl on earth to see her sister again.

Emma was speechless as she returned the hug and looked over her sister's shoulder at Mary Margaret. But her guardian barely looked like the same person. Her features were the same, but she stood taller and with more certainty. Her eyes were soft, but seemed more intense than ever before.

"I hope those tears weren't for me," Rose teased, pulling back to wipe her sister's cheeks with the pads of her hands.

Emma just stared at her sister. "I could still kill you," she snapped, but the threat fell flat and both sisters smiled at each other.

Snow loved how much they meant to each other. Even in the darkest hour, they had each other. It was when they didn't things looked bad.

She looked up to see David studying her. His eyes were cautious as he kept his distance from her. "Snow?" he said softly, not completely curtain if he should hope.

Her lips cracked into a brilliant smile as she went running to him. "Charming!"

The girls turned to see their parents embrace. It was a very odd feeling. These people, these _very young_ people were their parents. Emma was already withdrawing herself from them, and Rose couldn't help but do the same. As much as they had dreamed of their parents, imagined who they would be or what they would be like, Snow White and Prince charming never appeared in their more childish hopes.

Rose was more familiar with the idea, being able to hear her cursed mother's periodic advice in the silence of her world. Still, after the initial shock is over, the Rose couldn't help but feel just as uncomfortable as Emma. Especially watching their _parents_ reunion.

Almost in sync the girls took a step backward toward the steps as David and Snow stopped kissing and held hands, their bodies still close.

"Well," Emma said awkwardly, earning such an intense look of admiration from both her parent the girls looked away. "We're going to bed."

The admiration turned to fear and the fear melted into sadness as the girls took another fleeting step. "Girls-" Snow tried, but the nervousness shifts in both of their stances make her feel guilty.

"It's late," Rose told her, trying very hard to sound like she did earlier. Brave and sure. But it didn't quite make it to her ton.

"Long day. Tired, ya know," Emma said grabbing Rose's wrist and pulling her back toward the steps again.

"Snow," David tried to warn her from pushing too hard.

"Shouldn't we.. talk?" Snow asked, ignoring her husband's advice and watching as both girls continued their retreat.

"Maybe tomorrow?" Rose suggested.

"Or some other time," Emma muttered rushing up the steps with her sister just behind her. They were out of sight before Snow could really stop them.

Snow frowned and pursed her lips. "What just happened?"

"Two fourteen year old girls who only had each other, woke their fairytale parents up from a curse in a land where magic doesn't exist. Yet, they would probably more easily believe in magic than forgive us from sending them away fourteen years ago," David replied dryly, running his hands up and down Snow's arms.

Snow kept looking up the steps where the girls had disappeared before falling into her husband once again and letting out a hard sigh. Her world was falling together, but Emma and Rose's were twisting upside down.

The girls changed in silence, too emotionally exhausted to digest, much less discuss, what their lives had suddenly morphed into. Rose had tried to prepare herself, but definite failed. She was not ready to admit she had parents. Emma was even less ready.

They were too used to being on their own. Mary Margaret cared, gave them space when they needed it, and understood that she wasn't actually their mother. But Snow... Snow White gave birth to them and David-Charming, he was their dad. Still, they had learned to love Mary Margaret and David. Even with Rose knowing that David was Charming the whole time, it was hard for her to accept that he would actually be their father.

Emma looked so much like him. Same blonde hair, same cheek bones and forehead. But she had Snow's chin. Rose had... Rose had Snow's everything. She was a carbon copy of her mother, right down to her ivory skin.

"It's weird how it makes sense," Emma muttered as they crawled into the same bed, needing each other's comfort.

Rose pull her baby blanket into her face and inhales the scent. As long as she's had it, it's always smelt the same. Like spice and pine needles. It was the most comforting smell in the world to her. Emma pulled her own blanket and held it against her cheek. Their safety blankets.

Their hands found each other as they curled into each other. "It feels right, doesn't it?" Rose whispered in reply.

Emma nodded, finding the knit on her blanket extremely interesting. "But they still left us."

Rose scooted closer to her sister and nodded as well. "But they did it for us and so we could break the curse."

Emma moved her hand to the side of her sister's face, cupping her ear and hearing aid. "And it's their fault you can't hear."

The furrow in Rose's brow made Emma sad. "You don't know that. It may have happened no matter where we lived. Maybe I was meant to be hard of hearing."

That meant nothing to Emma. For all they know, if her parents wouldn't have sent them through the wardrobe, maybe Rose would be able to hear.

"We should be happy," Rose reminded her sister. "Isn't this what we wanted?"

Emma just looked back at her sister. "Is it?"

Rose didn't answer, just squeezed her sister's hand and removed her hearing aids. The silence seemed a little eerie now, but she would never admit it. Rose thought to the feeling she had when Snow wrapped her arms around her. It was like the weight of world was taken off her shoulders, like no matter how bad things got she would have a place to go, like... like home.

Snow sat the kitchen of the little apartment, sipping her hot chocolate and lost in thought. It was nearly ten o'clock and the girls still hadn't come downstairs. She wasn't even sure if they were awake. All she wanted to was touch them. Hold her girls in her arms and keep them safe forever. Fourteen years. Her girls were fourteen years old and she had missed fourteen years of their lives.

"I can feel you fretting, Snow," Charming commented, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "They've had a really rough night."

She inhaled the scent of cinnamon and chocolate as her body leaned into him. "You've been awake for weeks, they've been living with me for months, and I feel... I have no idea what I feel. I think I'm jealous of you for knowing all along who they are, I think I'm mad because I somehow managed to reach out to Rose and Emma was left alone, and I'm so terrified that they'll never forgive us."

Terrified didn't even begin to touch the intensity of her fear. They were all she could have ever wanted, she loved them so intensely from the moment she, as Mary Margaret, looked at those charming, witty, extremely sarcastic girls. It was disarming and a weapon within its self the intensity of a mother's love.

"They're probably going through something very similar," David told her, kissing her hair.

Snow glared at him. "How come you're so calm?"

Charming just smiled. "I've had a lot more time to think about this, and unlike you, I don't really over think."

Suddenly the sound of feet hitting the stairs made Snow light up to see both girls sprinting down the steps in tennis shoes, workout pants and tank tops with light jackets over them. Emma's hair was in a simple ponytail while Rose's was pulled into some sort of complex braid that twisted just at the base of her neck.

"We're going hiking," Emma called as she nearly ran toward the door with Rose only stopping to grab a couple bottles of water out of the fridge.

Snow was baffled, but recovered quickly. "Why don't you sit down and have breakfast?" she suggested, praying that the girls would accept.

"No thanks," Rose said obviously feeling bad for her mother, but unsure how to handle her own feelings.

"We'll get something at Granny's," Emma added giving her sister a pleading look to hurry up.

"Oh," Snow deflated and Rose frowned, looking between her mother and sister. She hated upsetting people more than she hated most things, and Snow was definitely upset. Plus she wore that kicked puppy Mary Margaret face that always made her guilty.

Rose looked at her sister giving her pleading look that was met with a glare and a firm shake of the head. Rose pursed her lips and creased her eyebrows met with another firm head shake from her sister.

"Why don't you come with us?" Rose suggested, turning away from her sister, breaking their silent argument, and toward her parents. She could feel Emma's death stare as Snow's face lit up and David smiled gently at her.

"Absolutely!" Snow jumped up and Emma groaned, pulling her bag on her shoulder.

Emma kept glaring at her sister for being such a softy and Rose kept glaring back as they walked the trail toward the bluffs.

"Quit looking at me like that!" Rose snapped.

Emma turned her attention forward and sighed. "Should I give you puppy eyes so you can send them away?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "We're hurting her by running away from her," Rose hissed back, glancing to see Snow not far behind them, holding a conversation with David. Catching Rose's eye she tilted her head curiously giving a small smile. "She's our _mom_."

There was a hint of excitement in Rose's tone that annoyed Emma, but she bit her tongue.

"So where are we headed girls?" David called as Emma pulled her backpack off her shoulder and looked up at a tree.

Climbing trees had always been something she and her sister loved to do. They would race up trees and the one who could reach the highest branch got little more than bragging rights. Not to mention they were amazing at it.

Looking over at her sister, Rose smiled knowing exactly what Emma was thinking. She glanced over at David and Snow. "You two any good at climbing trees?" Emma said through a cheeky grin.

Both adults laughed. "Do you have any idea who you're asking?" Snow teased.

"Oh, so they think they're good," Rose tossed to her sister grinning evilly.

David raised his eyebrow at his wife. "You're daughter is challenging us."

Emma stepped up next to her sister. "Then let's make it official. We challenge Prince James-or David- Charming and Princess Snow White to a tree race."

The girls stood tall next to each other. Of course, David and Snow were definitely going to give them a run for their money.

"Emma Ruth and Red Rose, we accept your challenge but for a time where we're not restricted with denium," Snow replied with a matching grin, not missing both girl's curious look. It was probably a good idea to ignore it for a moment so they could continue this moment uninterrupted.

"Fine! Just me and Rose then," Emma said quickly. "What are the stakes?"

"Loser does the other's chores for the week," Rose offered rubbing her hands together. "Including making the beds."

Emma made a face. Making the bed was always her least favorite chore. "Deal."

Rose double checked her braid before tightening her shoes, looking up at the tree Emma had already decided on. "Think you old timers can keep up with the tree climbing champs?"

David grinned as Snow laughed. "We'll find out next time," he promised making the his dark haired daughter smile.

Popping her knuckles, Emma gave her sister a teasing smirk. "I'm better than Rose."

"Depends on the day, today's not yours," Rose countered high fiving her sister across and clasping their hands. They grinned at each other.

"On the count of three?" Emma offered letting go of her sister and turning back toward the tree.

The girls got ready. "One," Rose started, finding her position, near a lower branch of the tree/

"Two," Emma called, positioning herself similarly on the opposite side.

"Three!" The both called out at once.

Both girls kicked off the trunk of the tree, grabbing onto their first branch and hoisting themselves up. They were fast, definitely. Rose climbed the branches close to the trunk, almost twisting around it as she went. Emma just went from limb to limb, barely behind her sister at all times.

"I'm gonna win!" Rose cheered, glancing down at her sister as she neared the top of the tree. She was an amazing climber, but Emma was right behind her.

Rose reached up to another branch and there was a cracking. Both her parents held their breath as Rose let out a yelp began falling with the broken branch in hand. Before David could even yell, Emma's strong hands grabbed her sister's wrist.

"Thanks," Rose squeaked managing to grab a branch as her feet managed find balance.

Emma grinned. "Have I ever let you fall before?"

"Yes! Twice actually!" Rose deadpanned, too shaken up to start climbing right away.

"Well you never actually hit the ground," Emma said simply.

"Just nineteen branches. You're right, Jimmy Thompson broke my fall."

"Both times."

They both laughed and started climbing again. This time, back down though. Emma had won and there was no point in risking another fall when the top branches already proved to be weak.

The girls beamed with pride as they dropped from the last branch and onto the safety of the dirt path. They were panting slightly, but they had a look of pure joy on their faces. Obviously they loved climbing, just like both parents had when they were younger.

They were easier to talk to after their climb. It was like it had mentally and physically relaxed them. Snow kept watching them look at her like they did the day before, like she was Mary Margaret, but it was only now that she realized how much love that look possessed. It was easier for them to love Mary Margaret than it was for them to love her. But she could understand why.

Snow was having a lot of trouble not pushing, especially when the girls were quiet as they walked together. David had packed clothes to stay another (meaning the every) night now that his wife's curse had been lifted and the girls were back in their lives, but they all knew the pink elephant in the room. They didn't know how to break the curse over the rest of the town. Emma had suggested just setting up a kissing booth, but her father did not find the humor her sister did in the idea.

It was weird to think that Snow White had to teach fourth graders in the morning. She had the knowledge to do so, having Mary Margaret's experience, but for some reason it felt very different.

Rose hesitated as they walked past the pawnshop. David looked back to see her completely stopped, looking through the window at Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin standing behind the counter.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

She didn't answer him, mostly because she couldn't quite explain what _was _wrong. The sound of a motorcycle tore her attention away from the shop to the street. The bike wasn't recognizable as the man pulled over and parked not ten feet from where the family stood. He hopped off his bike and pulled off his helmet, turning toward the girls and giving them one of his classic smiles, but said nothing. He turned around, and walked toward Granny's with a slight limp.

"Do we know him?" Emma asked, unable to explain why he looked so familiar.

"I... I'm not sure," Rose replied.

They kept watching the man until he was out of sight. Why did he feel so familiar. "Do you know him?" Emma asked Snow the only person who would know for sure if he was from around town.

"No, I don't think he's from here," she replied not hiding her own confusion as they started their stroll back toward the apartment.

Both girls kept looking back toward him. He felt familiar...

When they arrived home Rose seemed restless, pacing around the entire apartment annoying the hell out of her sister. Snow tried to keep small talk going while she prepared dinner, and David was actually succeeding in conversing with Emma.

Snow kept watching Rose pace, not sure what was going through the girl's mind. "Want to talk about it?" she asked cautiously, unsure of how the girl would feel about the slight prying.

Rose hesitated in her step. "Regina," she said finally, thinking of the woman who looked so sad the night before. She was alone.

The name made Snow frigid. "What about her?"

"I think... I think she needs help," Rose replied, this time afraid of how her mother would react.

Snow sighed, stepping away from the sauce pan for just a moment to look at her daughter fully. But Rose was already retreating before she could even say that she had more experience with Regina, that the woman was _evil_.

"Rose," Snow called gently, surprising her daughter with the sound of her comfort.

"I want to help her," Rose told her mother softly.

But Snow shook her head, moving closer to the girl and putting her arms around her. Snow hugged her daughter until eventually, Rose hugged her in return. "There are some people we can't help," Snow whispered as Rose rested her head on her mother's chest.

That may have been true. But Rose was not ready to admit that Regina was one of them.

After dinner, Rose excused herself from the table, sliding a cookie off the table and up her sleeve. "I need some air," she muttered when her sister gave her questionable look.

Snow wanted to say something to make her stay, but no words came to mind. They just watched as the girl closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry," Emma said suddenly, looking down at her plate. "We're probably not exactly the type of kids you guys imagined."

David was just as shocked as Snow at their daughter's words. "Why would you ever say that?" David nearly gasped as Emma poked at her food with her fork.

"Well, we're..." _Broken? Damaged? Afraid to love you? Not from the fairytale world? Have a history of running away? Not ready to trust you because you threw us in a wardrobe and left us to fend for ourselves in an unknown world where we could have died?_ None were appropriate answers so she just bit her tongue.

David kept looking at his daughter, but when he realized he wasn't going to get an answer, he put his fork down and clasped Snow's hand. "Emma, you and your sister are all we've ever wanted. From the moment I first laid eyes on you... My gods Emma you were so beautiful."

It was obvious that she was uncomfortable, but she wanted to listen. She kept her eyes down toward the table as David continued. "Putting you two in that wardrobe was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. Your mother and I would have given anything to spend those fourteen missed years with you. I mean anything."

Snow squeezed her husband's hand and watched as Emma twiddled her fingers. "I have a middle name?" It sounded like a question, but neither of them were very sure where it came from. "On my blanket it just said Emma, but on Rose's it said Rose Red. I didn't know I had a middle name."

Snow could tell that the girl was close to crying. "Ruth," she confirmed for her daughter. "After your grandmother, your father's mother. She's the entire reason you and your sister were at all possible."

A tear fell onto the table cloth as the girl and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Who's older?"

"Older?" Snow questioned, not sure who she was talking about.

Emma looked up at her parents, face flushed and eyes filled with tears. "Me or Rose, who's older?"

A small smile came over Snow's face. "You. But barely. Rose was just two minutes behind."

Emma laughed and wiped her face again. "I knew it! She'll be so mad when she finds out."

They all let out a sad sort of laugh as Emma scooted back from the table. She wanted to head directly upstairs, but hesitated. Moving around the table, she embraced both her parents. "We'll keep trying, but this is hard."

Snow wiped her own eyes as she gently kissed her girl's hair and held her tight. "We wouldn't ask for anything more."

Rose had walked several blocks before standing in front of the very house her mother had pulled her from the night before. Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the door.

"I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you here, Miss Swan."

Rose jumped and spun around to see Regina carrying groceries and trying to pull her house keys out of her pocket. Without being asked, Rose helped her. She even held the door for the woman, but actually enter the house.

It was odd. The girl was acting as though she wasn't dealing with Public Enemy Number One, but just a neighbor that she had seen that needed help. But as she stood just outside the door, Regina gave her an bewildered look. "What are you doing? Are you going to come in?"

Rose looked conflicted. "Is that alright? You didn't technically invite me in."

Apparently her words were amusing because Regina laughed lightly. "You can come in, Miss Swan."

There was an expected hesitation that didn't happen as the girl smiled up at Regina and helped her unload the grocery bag onto the counter. It hurt a little to see how much Rose resembled her mother, but it felt impossible to hate a girl that smiled at the choice of ice cream in the bag.

"Rocky Road is my favorite too," she told the queen. "Oh!" Reaching into her pocket the girl revealed a cookie. "I brought this for you."

The kind actions were alarming, but it was very obvious they were sincere. Regina took the cookie in her hands and stared at it for several moments. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, not even looking as the girl opened her freezer to put away the ice cream.

Rose just smiled. "I know what it's like to be lonely."

Regina was shocked at the girl's words. "Do your parents know where you are?"

The girl just shook her head and continued with the groceries. She could feel Regina's eyes on her the entire time, but she didn't care. When the groceries were put away, Rose gave Regina a big smile and told her goodbye, but not before suggesting eating with her at Granny's sometime. She was too shocked to say no.

As the girl left, Regina watched her out the window with the strangest feeling in her chest. In a land without magic, the girl had the ability to change a heart of stone into something that could feel.

It was no doubt that Regina hated Snow White for what she did. She broke her promise and told her mother about Daniel in turn killing him. She had been so angry. The moment she found out she wanted to see the girl dead, but days past and she couldn't do it. Then there was magic and suddenly she had the ability to do anything.

Was it magic that took away her humanity? If she would have refused to learn magic would she have grown to love Snow like a daughter? Before Daniel's death it felt like it was impossible not to love the girl.

Was it impossible not to love Rose?

The sound of a motor cycle engine roaring tore her attention away from Rose. She looked out her window to see a man she had never seen before kick his bike off and zoom down the street.

Whatever was going on, Regina knew one thing for sure: Things were changing in Storybrooke. Things were changing for her.

_**I would love to know what you think, and if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! **_


	8. Trouble

Rose sat on the couch with Emma on the floor between her knees. She ran the brush through her sisters curls, ignoring her flinches at almost every tangle. "Ever heard of being gentle?" Emma complained.

"Ever heard of drying your hair before you fall asleep?" Rose quipped. "Would be easier than having me try and fix it in the morning."

Snow chuckled as she tied her scarf around her neck and stole a swig from David's coffee. Emma let out another gasp, this time turning around and whacking her sister's leg. "That was on purpose!"

"Was not! Now quit moving!" Rose fired back, tugging just a little harder than necessary to get Emma's hair into a fairly complex braid.

David smirked as the sister's bickered, very used to it by now. They spent most of their free time in argument, but they meant well by it. "Graham offered me a job by the way," he told his wife as got ready.

"Really?" Snow replied with raised eyebrows. "My husband the deputy. Do you get to carry a gun?" He could tell that she was mostly teasing him, but she was definitely impressed.

"If I accept the job: yeah, I guess I do," David replied a little taken back by his wife's words, mostly just trying to understand the emotion behind her words.

"If? You haven't taken it?" Snow asked. "David, serving people it's what you do- that's what made you a great leader-"

"Well, I thought it was a pretty good idea to check with my wife first," he replied honestly shocked, but humored at her outburst.

Her concern melted and turned to embarrassment. "Oh... Well... you should definitely take it," Snow replied giving her husband a big smile and planting a kiss on his lips.

"Glad you think so," he chuckled putting an arm around her shoulders as he looked back over at the girls. "You ready yet?"

Emma groaned again as her sister finally tied her hair up and threw it down. She stood up and Snow was impressed as the five strand braid Rose had managed starting at the side of Emma's face and swooping around the back to fall down the opposite shoulder. It looked like something the girls would have worn in the enchanted forest.

"We're ready," Rose sighed grabbing her backpack and a orange off the table.

Out the door they went and on with their days. As the girls shoved their backpacks in their lockers they were suddenly bombarded. Two boys shut their lockers while a group of several other kids surround them. They didn't act threatening, and all the kids were recognizable from class. Still, the girls really weren't quite sure how to react.

"So, you two have been at school for like... two months and yet never talk to anyone," one of the girls stated bluntly with a smile. Her name was Lori, Rose had algebra with her. The two other girls that were easily recognized here Alice and Lily. The boys that had been so kind as to close their lockers were Luke and Riker. Alex and Jake were also standing with the odd group.

"Uhh hi?" Emma offered crossing her arms over her books against her chest.

"Hello!" Lily said brightly with a big smile. Immediately Rose giggled a little at the girl. She was definitely friendly.

Alice rolled her eyes at Lily's over enthusiasm. "We just wanted to let you know that we won't bite. And invite you to sit with us at lunch."

Emma thought on this, but before she could decline, Rose jumped in. "Sure. Thanks for the invitation."

All the kids looked pleased. But as they headed back toward their classes, Riker made a point to flash Rose a smile she couldn't keep herself from blushing at. Emma caught every second of it.

"Well, well, looks like someone's got their eye on my little sis," Emma sneered knowing very well that Rose was normally the twin that didn't deal much with the opposite sex. She was usually too shy to say much.

Rose shoved her sister in reply but could help but catch the boy's eye again as he glanced back at them. He had intense brown eyes and well kept dark hair. But Rose tried not to think on it as she walked to class.

That didn't stop him from sitting right across from her at lunch. Even as the entire group of them held easy conversation, Rose could still feel his brewing brown eyes on her as she made a point not to look at him. Eventually she gave up the fight and looked across at him and was met with a dazzling smile that made her blush again.

"There's a party at my place this weekend," Lori told the girls. "You two should come."

"Oh, I don't kno-"

"Definitely!" Rose accepted offer once again before Emma could technically decline it, without ever breaking eye contact with Riker. "We'll definitely come."

Emma suppressed a groan. Rose finds a cute boy who doesn't even really talk interesting and now she's getting dragged to a party. Joy.

"If you don't wanna come, Emma, it's okay. We understand that not everyone likes parties," Lily told her, twirling her long hair between her fingers. She was so sweet it was almost odd, but then again, Emma knew that all these kids were from a fairytale land and that meant they had to be a little odd.

Still, Emma didn't have to look at her sister to know she was being glared at. "Oh no, I'll go."_Or be dragged kicking and screaming by my sister. _But Emma didn't dare say that either.

Lily smiled widely while Luke turned his attention to her. All the kids were at least a little older than them. Lily was a Sophomore along with Luke and Alex. The rest of them were juniors, including the boy obviously undressing Rose with his eyes.

Before Emma could think of something to say to get Rose away from the guy the bell rang. Thank God. But there was still this look on Rose's face that told Emma she was not going to like whatever was going to happen next.

David waited outside the school, leaning against his old Ford truck, wearing his badge on his belt and side holders that made Snow grin as she walked toward him. The schools were all grouped together, but the elementary got out about fifteen minutes before the rest.

David grinned as she walked up to him and greeted him with a big smile and peck on the lips. Being awake, even if the rest of the town was still cursed, was the best feeling she had in fourteen years. Remembering what love was and feeling it again with Charming and Emma and Rose, how could he ever have lived without it?

"Well, hello," David said as she continued to beam up at him.

"Hi," she giggled taking a step back and leaning against the truck with David's arm around her shoulder. They stood there in silence waiting for the girls to come out of the building and it suddenly felt less like Snow's dream and more like Mary Margaret.

In the enchanted forests the girls would be taught by a duchess, not go to high school. Mary Margaret was the one who had the dream of picking up fictional children from school and cooking them dinner. They would go to school dances instead of royal balls and play dodge ball rather than have lessons in ballroom dancing.

There was a twinge of sadness in Snow's gut that was quickly forgotten when the school bell rang and kids started flooding out the door. Emma was the first out, using one hand to jump the concrete banister on the steps and sit on the edge. Normally they just walked home so Snow and David went unnoticed for the moment

But as another girl with long blond hair, longer than even Emma's, she stopped and jumped up next to Emma. It was easy to tell that Emma was warming to the girl, just somewhat slowly. That was just Emma in general though. A little prickly.

"Hello again," Lily said pulling her backpack straps.

Emma offered her a weak smile. "Hey," not really hiding her disinterest.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked with a weak smile.

Just as Emma was about to reply, she watched Riker walked out not far behind Rose. She hadn't noticed him yet, but as she looked around for Emma, he "accidently" bumped into her. Rose's papers went scattering out of her folder.

Her cheeks burned crimson as they both bent down to save her papers before they were trampled by the rest of the kids.

"Riker's a good guy," Lily told Emma watching as her eyes narrow. "But you don't know me so you probably won't take my word for it."

It surprised Emma just how good natured Lily was about her lack of trust Emma held for people. "I'm sorry-" Emma began truly apologetic.

"Don't be," Lily said quickly. "Trust is earned, not given. I'll see you around."

With that Lily wiggled her fingers in a farewell and hurried off to catch up with her Jake and Lori. Emma turned back to Riker and Rose to see that they were holding some sort of conversation.

"Your sister is staring at us," Riker whispered as Rose tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and he shuffled the paper back in her folder in his hands.

"Don't look now but so is Alice," Rose grinned already knowing that Alice would like to think Riker was her property.

His eyebrows stitched together. "And so is the fourth grade teacher and some man I've never seen before."

Rose turned around before she realized who he was talking about and broke out into laughter. "Those very intense observers are, uh, you can call them my parents I guess."

Again, he looked a little confused. "What exactly does that mean?"

She sighed and rocked back and forth on her toes. "It means I'm complicated." She gave a weak smile. "Ready to run yet?"

Riker laughed. "Run from complicated? Why? You seem interesting in this boring town."

She bit her lip as she smiled. "What if I told you my dad is best friends with the sheriff and accepted the deputy position this morning? Scared yet?"

There was something mischievous and ornery in his smile as he leaned in closer to her and she sucked in a breath at his nearness. "I like a challenge," he whispered, handing her the folder she had dropped and stepping past her, leaving her completely breathless.

Snow had a hold of David's shirt to keep him from going anywhere as they watched the entire conversation unfold between Rose and the boy. The boy had a bad boy attitude and for some reason it seemed more like an Emma type than a Rose type. The idea of a boy in a black leather jacket and wore dark sunglasses going anywhere near Rose, the girl who loved to dress in flowing skirts and leggings... it was disconcerting to David.

He watched as Rose stood there with her back toward them, obviously trying to remain completely cool, not revealing her excitement as Emma roughly grabbed her sister's arm and yanked her toward the truck.

"What is up with you?" Rose complained as she stumbled to keep up with her sister.

"Me?" Emma said incredulously letting go of her sisters arm. "You're the one who's accepting invitations to parties for the both of us and-"

"Making friends?" Rose offered with a raised eyebrow. "How dare I."

Emma just rolled her eyes and looked up at David and Snow. "Hi," she said unable to hide the bite in her voice.

"You two ready to head home?" David offered trying to ignore the tension between them.

"In your truck that sits three?" Emma questioned.

"Actually, my car is just across the street," Snow replied. "David was just going to follow us-"

Neither of the girls said a thing, but Rose opted to ride with David since Emma was going with Mary Margaret.

"So," David starts awkwardly. "Who was the boy?"

Rose gives him a look that he thinks only a teenager could master. It was definitely a look a daughter would give her father that was prying and for some reason it made him feel that much closer to her.

"Are we really having this conversation?" Rose groaned slumping back in her seat.

"Well, yeah, I guess," David replied awkwardly. This dad thing was harder than he realized, but it may also have something to do with missing the first fourteen years of experience. "You seemed-"

"His name is Riker. He and his friends asked Emma to have lunch with them, and invited us to a party this weekend," Rose said quickly. "Every other time one of them has tried to ask us to eat with them we've said no."

David was confused by the last piece of information. "So why say yes this time?"

The girl hesitated for a second. "Because now we know we're not leaving going to have to leave."

He stopped himself before he aid anything stupid. He recognized the sound of pain hurt in her voice, but also the sound of hope.

When they got back to the apartment, David only stayed long enough to make himself a sandwich and get back to the station.

Both girls sat at the island with their books open working on their homework while Snow looking though her cabinets to see what she wanted to make for supper. The girls didn't speak a word to each other, they didn't even do their usual conversing over homework, just sat there silently.

"So," Rose said finally, putting down her mechanical pencil and closing her math book. "There's this party next weekend..."

Snow turned around, obviously surprised. The girls had never made any attempt to make friends, at least according to her teachers, and the fact Rose was even mention a party seemed odd.

"Are you asking if you can go?" Snow inquired, hoping that was where this was going.

"Well, yeah actually," Rose responded nervously. "I kinda didn't think to get the details on the party, but I can get them and give them to you."

It was very obvious that the girl was half expecting a no. "I don't see why not," Snow replied instead, melting at the excitement on Rose's face.

"Really? That's awesome!"

Emma suddenly slammed her book closed and hopped off the barstool in a huff. She angrily stuffed her books back into her backpack but not before managing to knock over the stack of books her sister had.

The final straw had been drawn and Snow instinctively held her breath as she waited for the bang. She could see it building from the moment they walked to the car.

"What is with you?" Rose snapped, scooping up the books that had fallen on the floor and into her mother's cooking space.

Emma didn't respond right away, just took a deep breath as her eyes narrowed. "You don't even know those people!"

"We go to school with them! We should get to know them," Rose tried to reason, but was unable to keep her tone completely calm. "It's called making friends."

Emma scoffed and continued toward the steps. "Well, I'm not going to pick up the pieces when you get hurt. We both know you will. With your new friends and with _Riker_."

"Why do you assume that I need you to pick up the pieces?" Rose snapped back. "What makes you assume there will be pieces to pick up? Why do you always assume I need your help?"

"Because you always have!" Emma shot back. "Ever since we were little!"

"I don't need your help, Em. I'm a big girl," Rose snapped as Snow started to debate when she should cut in.

"You do need my help!" Emma shot suddenly. "Because the moment your hear aids come out, _nobody wants you_."

The silence hung over them as Snow cover her mouth with her hand giving a barely auditable gasp of "Emma" escaping her lips. Emma was too angry to take back her words, even if she didn't fully mean them.

Rose eyes filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall. "Well you can hear and no one wanted you either."

Rose grabbed her jacket and headed for the door, but Emma grabbed her arm to stop her only for her to get pushed backward with surprising strength. "No. You don't get to tell me not to go. No matter what you think, you are not my caretaker, _you _are _not_ my _mother_!"

With that the door slammed shut behind her and Rose was gone. Snow gently reached out to Emma, seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks and the hurt anger burning in her eyes. But Emma pulled away.

"This is _your _fault!" Emma shouted glaring at her mother, shocking Snow into retreating her hand. "You sent us away and didn't think about what would happen to us! We were too little and Rose... her ears got infected from the cold. You're the reason she can't hear!"

Snow couldn't find words as Emma kept glaring at her. "Then we get thrown into foster care and you have _no_ idea what happened to us there! You're the ones who hurt us. And I may not be her mother, but I was the one that _was _there and could hear all the terrible things that were said about her."

And then she was gone. The door slammed shut behind her and Snow was alone. Sobs broke from her chest as she covered her mouth to muffle the sound. They were right... And Rose's ears... They were born so early... And Rose... Snow never got to hold her before she Charming whisked them away to the wardrobe.

The wardrobe. The curse. It was Regina's fault! If it wasn't for the curse she would have had her daughter with her all along. They would've grown up in a castle. She would've told them bed times stories, tucked them in at night, and protected them from any harm. Rose's ears would have never gotten too cold, and the walls around Emma's heart would have never had to have been built.

Snow could have watched her babies grow and Charming... Charming would have been the best father... Seeing him earlier when the boy was talking to Rose, he was so protective of her.

Regina did this. Regina was the one that hurt her daughters.

Rose rushed along the sidewalk, going nowhere really. She had roughly pulled out her hearing aids and was seeking peace in her silence when she ran right into someone.

Regina looked down at the girl who had crashed into her, until she realized just who it was. Bloodshot eyes of the crying teenager found hers and the girl seemed even more ready to cry again. "I'm so sorry!" she said, perhaps a little loudly for the quiet street.

Normally she would have huffed and moved on, but this was Rose. The girl who Regina hated to admit, but she had a soft spot for.

"Are you alright?" Regina asked awkwardly as the girl brushed herself off, looking down at her clothing. When Rose didn't respond, Regina frowned at her.

Rose noticed the stiffening body language and shot her eyes up, immediately knowing that she missed something. "I'm sorry?"

Regina gave her a puzzled look but repeated what she said. There was a moment of processing before Rose seemed to understand. "Yeah. Just going for a walk."

Once again, Regina wouldn't have pushed, but this was Rose. "Most people-"

Seeing that Regina was going to say something else, Rose held up a finger and put her hearing aids back in her ears. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

The shock was impossible to hide as Regina gently pushed Rose's hair back to see the devices. "Your deaf?" Regina gasped.

"Hard of hearing actually," Rose replied bashfully wiping a stray tear from her eye.

Regina didn't know what to say, but she just kept seeing the pain. She remember seeing it in Snow's eyes before... Before Daniel died she was able to see Snow's pain as clearly as she could see Rose's.

"You look like you've had a rough day," Regina said softly, frowning.

Rose shrugged a little. "It's kinda hard breaking a curse that your step-grandma put into place."

To Regina's surprise the girl was actually smiling and even more to her surprise: she laughed. "Well," she said letting go of Rose's hair and letting it fall back onto her shoulder. "Maybe you would like to break into that Rocky Road you put in my freezer? It usually helps me after a bad day."

What on Earth was she saying? Inviting Snow White's daughter to her home to cheer her up with ice cream? Regina wasn't sure what was coming out of her mouth at all, but she felt her heart flutter at the smile on the girl's face.

"That sounds great."

The two of them sat in Regina's kitchen with a bowl of ice cream in front of them. Rose hadn't told her what actually made her cry but she was smiling, and it surprised Regina how happy that made her.

Finally, Rose sighed and pushed back the empty bowl. She looked at Regina in a way that was almost like she looked right through her. "I don't think you're as evil as you think you are."

Regina was taken aback by her words and suddenly felt ashamed. "I'm sure your mother would beg to differ."

But Rose shrug. "Maybe, but I like to think that she's where I got my ability to see the good in people. Trust me, Regina, I've seen pure evil." Rose looked back down at the counter. "And it sure didn't look like you."

Something about the way she said that made Regina curious just how bad this world could be. It was a land without magic, shouldn't be kinder than their world? But something stopped her. She had spent the last three hours sitting and talking to the daughter of her greatest enemy and felt nothing but adoration for the child.

Adoration that she most certainly should not have.

"It's getting late. You should probably be heading home. It's already dark," Regina instructed awkwardly standing and going for the girl's jacket.

Rose seemed a little hurt, but followed. "Oh, alright."

Regina held the door open for her, but Rose hesitated. For a moment she just looked at Regina before throwing herself into her arms and giving her a tight hug. "I kinda wish things were different," Rose whispered, still hugging Regina who was very frigid. "I think you would have been a really good grandma, or just a really good mom to your kids."

Rose stepped back and was too afraid to see Regina's completely bewildered expression. Without another word the girl walked down the path toward the sidewalk leaving Regina stuck in her words.

"Rose!" she called out suddenly without thanking, making the girl stop and turn back to look at her. "You can-you can come back sometime, if you'd like."

The girl's face lit up. "Of course! Thank you!"

Regina just smiled as Rose walked away.

Just as Rose passed Granny's a squad car came pulling up beside her. Part of her had been expecting this. As the window rolled down, she sighed and looked over to see a very humored Graham sitting in the driver's seat.

"I know, I know," Rose sighed rubbing her hands together against the cold.

"Your mom is beside herself and your dad is out looking for your sister," Graham told her making her hot in her step.

"Looking for Emma?" Rose asked. "What do you mean?"

"Apparently you're not the only one who takes off when she's mad," Graham countered.

"But Emma never stays out..." _She's afraid of the dark..._ Rose said mentally looking up at the street light. "She would've come home by now!"

Inside, something felt really wrong. Rose could feel it in her bones.

"Rose, I'm sure everything is fine," Graham promised. "But I've got to take you back to your mom so I can go search for Emma."

"But-"

"Rose, I'm not going to argue with you. Get in," Graham command.

The moment she walked through the apartment she was pulled into a harsh embrace by her mother. It was smothering, but so warm that Rose allowed herself to close her eyes and melt into it. She was beginning to realize that her mother gave the best hugs in the world.

"Don't you ever run off like that again," Snow demanded as she held Rose against her inhaling the scent of her hair.

"I'm sorry," Rose said sincerely. "I was mad... and I just..."

It was easier for Rose to runaway than to deal with her anger where she stood. She had spent so much of her life hiding the pain that when it came she ran to keep it to herself.

Snow held her tighter. "You're safe. That's all that matters."

But Rose pulled away. "No. It's not. I think Emma's in trouble."

Emma sat in the room staring at the endless amounts of material surrounding her. A hat? Who in the world would snatch her up off the street and sit her in a room and tell her to make a hat? Someone from freaking Storybrooke, that's who!

Emma picked up the scissors and took a deep breath. She knew from experience that it's better to try and humor a mad man than fight him.

_**And the Mad Hatter prepares his entrance. **_

_**As you can see, I'm really trying to build something between Rose and Regina. If you have any suggestions as to how, I'd love to hear them. **_


	9. Happy

_**I see that not a lot of you are interested in the Regina/Rose relationship. I'll keep that in mind. But I think you all will enjoy this chapter. There's definitely some family moments. **_

Emma threw down the material and let out a grunt of frustration. "I can't make you a hat! Look, I'm not crafty. You want someone beat up or how to cheat at card games, I'm your girl. I am _not_ a crafty kid."

Jefferson slammed his hands down on the tabled, but by now Emma didn't flinch. She was fairly sure this wacko wasn't going to hurt her. "I have to get home!" he shouted at her. "Do you not understand! I have to take my daughter home!"

"I'm sorry," Emma replied with an irritable sight. "But I can't help you and my parents are going to be looking for me soon. Besides, I really don't think you need to add a second count of kidnapping to your record."

He lunged at her, landing with his hands on either side of the chair glaring. "She's _my_ daughter. The queen cast a curse-"

"And sent all the fairy tale characters to this land. I know. My sister and I are suppose to break the curse, blah blah blah. Sorry, but I have no idea how to use magic to break the curse, much less make a hat!"

Jefferson spun around. "Sister?"

Emma could have slapped herself. _Crap._

Suddenly he was off rambling, pacing back and forth as his sanity level seemed to dissipate. "Maybe their magic only works if they're together. So I get them together! Her parents would come looking for her.. Perhaps her sister too? They certainly wouldn't leave her alone... Probably with her mother..."

"No!" Emma snapped wishing her legs weren't still tied to the chair. "Give me a second." She picked up the material again and the scissors. "I can get this to work. Look, I'm making a hat."

But Jefferson just laughed madly, and not because she most certainly could not make a hat. "Nice try. But I think I'd better my chances with two saviors instead of one."

The chair was yanked back away from the table and into the room across the hall. When she struggled against him as he retied the restraints around her wrists, he pulled the gun out from the back of his pants and held it up for her to see. "We're not going to play this game again are we?"

"If you kill me, you'll never get back to your daughter," Emma countered, completely unafraid.

The man just laughed. "I wouldn't kill you. Gun are good for other things."

Emma raised her eyebrow. "Like wha-"

He swung the gun at the side of her head knocking her out cold. "Like sedation!" Again he laughed as he finished tying the restraints but left the gag out of her mouth. She wouldn't be making any sounds any time soon.

When David told her to stay at home when the girl didn't come home fairly quickly, Snow was angry. She argued that she was just as capable of searching for them as he was and that's exactly what she should be doing. Then he gave her one of his looks. The one that always told her that he must have been born with far more patience than she had, because he could put up with her spit fire moments quite well, and told her that someone needed to be at the apartment in case Rose or Emma did come home.

So she agreed. Not exactly happily, but still agreed. But now, she was thinking differently.

"Please, we have to go look for Emma," Rose begged looking out nervously at the dark sky.

"Rose, David and Graham are perfectly capable of finding her," Snow tried to reason, putting her own concerns aside to comfort her daughter. "Dare I say how many times your father found me? And Graham is a huntsmen. He's an excellent tracker."

But Rose was too anxious. She paced the floor, twirling her dark hair in front of her face as she thought. She looked like the fretting mother, and she was too young to turn grey. Finally, Snow had enough. She caught Rose's hand and pulled her toward the couch. "Why don't we talk?" she offered, watching as Rose visibly stiffened.

"What about?" Rose asked quickly from the other side of the couch.

"Anything," Snow replied easily, trying her best to smile when Rose seemed like she was on pins and needles just for being near her. "How's school going?"

"Fine," Rose said slowly, looking at her like she wasn't sure what she wanted to hear.

"Good... And do you like school?" Snow was not going to give up. She was going to hold a real conversation with her daughter.

"Sure..." Again, Rose seemed unsure of how to answer.

Snow sighed and gave her daughter a little smile. "You see, I don't really find this fair. You get a whole book about me and all I get is what I learned in the last couple months." Rose seemed to be loosening up the more Snow talked. Her shoulders relaxed from their stiff position and she was watching Snow with interest. "You know how your father and I met, you know about my mother and Regina, but you've tried really hard to keep your past a secret." Rose suddenly looked sad as she looked at her lap. Snow tilted her chin up and gave the girl one of her soft smiles. "But I know you hate cucumbers, which I can honestly say you get from your father, and you're a tough nut to crack, which you get from me. Don't tell your father I said that."

Rose laughed a little, and Snow noticed that she wasn't as far away. "We both like cinnamon in our hot chocolate," she offered making Snow smile.

"Which I can make for us while we wait on your father to come home with your sister," Snow offered. The smile on her daughter's face was an answer enough.

Giving Rose's leg a soft pat, Snow rose from the couch and headed into the kitchen. She worked in silence, not even noticing that Rose had followed her and made herself comfortable at the bar. She loved watching her mother. It was weird how some of the little things she did, the way she shifted weight between her feet when she was waiting for something or the way she would tilt her head when she was really listening. It was just like her and her sister...

It was true. Rose knew much more about her parent's past than they knew about hers and her sisters. They wanted to know more, and not so they could hurt them, but so they could help them. No other people in her life had ever looked at her the way her parents did. She was intimidated by what that meant at first, but she was beginning to learn that is was the most wonderful thing she had ever experienced.

"In the third grade I broke my wrist," Rose started slowly making Snow turn around and give her full attention to her. "Emma broke her collar bone the same year." She purposefully left out how exactly they happened and that they happened at the same time. "Emma's and my first kiss was with the same person, but I don't think she knows that I know that. In the first grade I got in trouble because I liked to take things home in my pockets, like frogs and the occasional garden snake. Emma got in trouble also because she put one of the garden snakes in our foster brothers bed."

Rose laughed at the memory and it made Snow chuckle as well. "She used to beat up anyone who made fun of my hearing aids even and as many times as I tried to tell her it really didn't bother me, she would just tell me that they weren't going to pick on her sister."

Those hazel eyes looked up at Snow and she gave her a thoughtful look. "Even before she knew that she was the older sister, she was the older sister. I always wanted to be as tough as her, but I'm not."

There was another pause as Rose searched her mind for something else to share, and suddenly her face turned a little red as a weak smile cracked on her lips. "And I never actually like Snow White, at least in the Disney movie. All she did was sing and clean, then she bit into an apple because the witch wanted to be 'the fairest of them all' and fell asleep. Then some stranger comes up, kisses a dead body and is dubbed Prince Charming. They totally screwed up the truth!"

Snow laughed lightly at Rose's enthusiasm. "And what is the truth?"

Rose gave her mother a look. "The truth is that Snow White was a badass princess who fought against the evil queen, who was _actually_ trying to get revenge for what happened to her true love, and along the way Snow found her true love and they fought for each other. It's not really a story, more like an epic, but _way_ better than the movie!"

She was so passionate and proud that it made Snow beam. Then Rose sat a little straighter and smiled a little bigger. "Plus, in this version, the sequel begins with me and Emma."

Snow refused to let her emotional side take over as tears burned in her eyes. "How's the story been so far?"

Rose's smiled faded slightly as she thought about the answer. "Not ideal. But then it's really starting to turn around." She looked into her hot chocolate Snow placed in front of her. "I really like that we have a mom and a dad, and I especially like that they're you."

She gave a shy smile and Snow wiped her eyes and held her own hot chocolate in her hands. "You know, you may not think you're as tough as Emma, but you sure can make me cry, Rose," Snow said with a chuckled as she and Rose moved to the couch. She was surprised when Rose curled right up against her. Snow ran her hands though Rose's dark hair as the hot chocolates sat on the coffee table. She press her nose into her hair and inhaled. "I love you, you know that?" she told her daughter as she rested her head on top of hers.

Rose nodded. "I really do, Mom."

Snow was barely able to hold back more tears as she pulled her daughter closer and closed her eyes. Suddenly she had another thought.

"Just out of curiosity," Snow began, leaning back a little to look at Rose. "Who _was_ your favorite fairytale character?"

"Red Riding Hood," she replied simply rubbing her eyes and relaxing more into her mother.

Snow laughed lightly and rolled her eyes. "Of course. Red's going to love that. That's what I get for naming you after your Godmother."

Rose didn't respond only snuggled closer. Snow held her, finally getting to experience what it was like for her child to fall asleep in her arms.

David kept driving, his worry growing by the minute. They had searched everywhere in town and now patrolled the outer roads in the forest. Snow was probably sick with worry and Rose was maybe even worse. But he was going to find his daughter.

He kept driving until he saw a large estate far deeper in the woods than any homes that he had come across before. There was this feeling, one that he couldn't quite explain, but it made him park his car and go up to the door only to find it slightly crack open.

Giving it a little push, he looked inside. "Hello?" he called taking his first step onto the hardwood floors. "Hello?"

Emma's head a throbbing as she slowly came too. _"Hello? Is anyone home?"_ At first she assumed it was her headache playing tricks on her. If you wanted to hear something so bad, you mind would tell let you think you were when you were just coming back into consciousness.

"Hello?" This time it was closer.

The voice brought Emma to attention much more quickly than she had been coming to on her own as she began to really hope it wasn't her imagination. Spots were dancing in her vision as she searched for words.

"Up here!" she screamed as loud as she could, panic mixing with relief as she instinctively pulled against her restraints.

"Hello?" the voice called again, this time closer and Emma recognized it.

"David! David, I'm up here!" Emma was now screaming as loud as she could get her dry throat to muster.

His heart was slamming into his chest as he heard the sound of his daughter's voice calling for him. She was terrified, and his heard broke at the sound but his legs moved faster up the steps.

"Emma? Where are you?" he called as he threw open the door to every room on his way.

"In here! I'm in here!" she cried. David threw open the door to see Emma sitting, tied to a chair and terrified tears running down her cheeks. Normally Emma came across as a small adult, but as she stared at them, she looked every bit of the little girl she really was.

David wasted no time untying the restraints, cutting them instead with a knife he had in his pocket. "He's looking for Rose. He said that two saviors were better than one and he wanted magic and for us to make him a hat..." Emma felt like she was rambling but she needed to tell him.

He could see the nasty bruise growing on her forehead and gently pushed her hair away to get a better look as she stood up. She stood just up to his chest and he just realized how tiny her body was as she shook. "Are you hurt, other than the bruise?" David asked looking down to see her bluish green eyes watching him.

She shook her head. "But Rose-"

"Rose is with your mother. I promise nothing is going to happen to her," David told his daughter softly.

The look on her face, the scared child look that seemed very alien to Emma's features, turned back into her strong stony expression. "I just want to go home," she said firmly, hating herself for the slight waver in her voice.

David nodded, but pulled Emma into him and held her close. She was stiff for a moment but then wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him just as tightly. Her never let them see you cry rule had been broken days ago and now she had broken her second rule of "don't get too attached." Maybe it was time to get a little attached.

Jefferson stood in the hallway, the gun in his hand, but he made no motion to attack. He had saw the car going toward his home and ran back as fast as he could. But he couldn't do it. He could keep another father from his daughter.

When he two of them separated, Jefferson slid into one of the rooms, completely unnoticed as David walked his daughter down the steps and out to his truck. Emma acted completely unfazed by what had happened, but David noticed she kept glancing at him. He had called Graham and told him where he had found Emma and Graham assured David that they'd find the guy, and Snow sounded so relieved that she just asked David to bring her home.

As Emma hopped out of the truck and onto the side walk in front of their apartment, she looked over at David. "Thank you," she told him, somewhat awkwardly.

"Thank you?" he laughed. "For what?"

Emma shifted on her feet. "Well, for... what you did... ya know." She was trying very hard to sound brave.

David frowned a little and stepped in front of Emma to stop her from going anywhere. "I know you're not used to people caring or taking care of you, but your mother and I are here now and it's our job." When she looked down, he gently guided her eyes back up to his. "And I will always find you _and _your sister _and _your mother. Because I love you and we're a family."

He was surprised when Emma threw herself back into his stomach and held him tight. All she ever wanted was a family and now she had one. Her dad was standing right there and he loved her. He would protect her and save her no matter what... and she loved that feeling. This wasn't to say she was knocking down all her walls to let these two new people in, but she was slowly allowing them to remove the walls, brick by brick.

This was her family.

When she let go, she grinned at him before racing up the steps to the apartment. As she threw open the door, she was her mother standing there. Snow smiled at her but as just as surprised as her husband when Emma wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and held her. Snow made questioning eye contact over Emma's shoulder as she returned the hug. David just smiled.

"I'm glad your okay," Snow told her, running a hand down her long blond hair. "I'm glad you're home."

Emma smiled at her mother. "I'm glad to be home."

Before Snow could say anything else, Emma looked over at her sister sleeping on the couch. She leaned over the top of it, before completely hopping over and crashing down on her sister who gave a shocked yelp.

"Well, good morning," Emma teased.

"It's night actually. So good night," Rose yawned rubbing her eyes. When everything came into focus, she frowned at the bruise on her sister's head. "What happened?" she asked immediately poking it.

"Ow!" Emma swatted her hand away and rubbed the side of her face. She could tell Rose was still not actually awake so she leaned in closer. "I'll tell you if you get up."

"But I'm _tired_," Rose complained.

"Okay, Grumpy," Emma shot back with a knowing smile.

"I'm Sleepy," Rose groaned before she realized what she said. "Hey!"

Emma laughed and elbowed her sister in her side. "I'm Happy."

Rose yawned and scooted over just enough for her sister to fall in beside her. "Welcome to Snow White's apartment, Happy. I don't think I've seen you for years." The dark haired sister finally smiled. "I'm glad your home," she said more seriously.

Emma looked at her sister then glanced at her parents who were pretending to not pay attention. "That's why I'm Happy."


	10. Pancakes

David wasn't really sure how comfortable the girls were on the couch, but they were asleep, so he decided against moving them. Snow had agreed not to ask too many questions until the girls were in bed, and since they ended up sleeping on the couch, it took longer than she had hoped to get to pry.

"You held your freak out well," David mused as Snow kissed both girl's forehead and was not surprised at all when she shot him a look from hell. Still, she sat on the arm of the couch, petting Emma's hair, then moved over to Rose to gently remove her hearing aid and lay them on the tablet by her head.

"When you call and tell me that you _found _our daughter in a house in the woods, tied to a chair and a bruise the size of a softball on her face. Then you tell me _not_ to freak out, you better be very glad that Rose was already asleep or I'd-I'd-" Snow fell flat with a sigh as she went into her husband's arms. "Please tell me Graham is going to find this guy."

"Graham said he picked up on some tracks outside the house. Emma said the man's name was Jefferson, but she also mentioned something about a mad hatter from Wonderland. Ever heard of it?" David asked as Snow went over to their bed and pulled off her shoes.

"Never. The name Jefferson vaguely rings a bell, but I can't think of why," she told him as she pulled her pajama's from her drawer and tossed her husband his as well. "Did she tell you anything else?"

David hesitated and Snow definitely caught it. "Charming..." she warned as she rested both hands on her hips.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself for his wife's reaction. "Jefferson was wanting the savior's magic for some sort of magic hat," he told her barely casting her a glance as he pulled back the covers to the bed and crawled in. Still Snow stood there, completely stunned.

So there was someone that was awake and wanted her daughters. People knew they were the saviors and someone wouldn't like that. There was a lot of bad in their world and in being dragged over into this world wasn't something Snow wanted to think about, especially when they wanted her children.

Suddenly she wanted to hide them away from the rest of the world. In the enchanted forests they had guards and a castle with marked lands that they would probably never leave without _someone_ being with them. Storming off would be to the other side of the castle, not town, and if someone so much as threatened the girls, they would answer directly to herself or David.

"They're not going to school," Snow said with a look of realization, like this was the obvious solution.

"Snow," David sighed, pushing himself up on his elbows. "They are going to school, Graham and I will be around the entire time and you're only in the next building."

"Tomorrow. They're not going to school tomorrow," Snow clarified with a firm nod. "We're taking a mental health day. One that involves hot chocolate and s'mores and grilled cheeses."

David gave his wife a humored look as she crawled into bed next to him. "Yes, dear," he mused as she rested her head on his shoulder and her hand over his chest. "Am I invited to your mental health day?"

His hand founds hers and played with her fingers as she sighed. "Why are you so calm? Emma was kidnapped! She was held hostage! They wanted Rose too!"

"Because I really don't think he'd risk it again."

Snow turned her head up and looked at David. "And?"

"And in a way I feel like I should thank the man. Emma really... she really opened up."

They both looked past the curtain to see both girls laying on the couch with the throw around them. they were the most beautiful creatures in the eyes of their parents, and they would do their very best to protect them and they would always love them. It was just nice to know they girls were finally seeing it too.

Snow snuggled against her husband's shoulders as she drummed her fingers on his chest. "And no, you can't join our mental health day."

Charming gave a light laughed and only hugged her closer as they both drifted to sleep.

Rose, as usual, woke before her sister. Emma was laying with her head on the other end of the couch and her feet tucked into the cushions instead of into Rose's back. She reached behind her and grabbed her hearing aids before she purposely gave her sister small kick to wake her up.

"What?" Emma groaned, pulling her knees tighter toward her chest and pulling the blanket against her face.

"Shh!" Rose looked over to her parents behind the curtain still in bed as she fiddled to get both hearing aids in. "Get up!"

"What time is it?" Emma grumbled warily, at least she was whispering though as she rubbed her eyes. Before Rose could check the time, Emma saw the clock on the wall. "Five thirty? God, Rose! Why'd you wake me up before the freaking chickens?"

The look that was exchanged between sisters was a mutual aggravation, until Rose threw the blanket that was covering them onto the floor and smiled triumphantly. Emma sighed and before her sister could say a word, she pushed herself to her feet. "Alright, alright. I'll get dressed, but whatever the hell we're doing better involve food."

"Don't worry! It does," Rose assured her sister with a little too much enthusiasm, climbing the steps behind her.

Snow rolled rubbed her eyes as she rolled over. Her alarm clock said just after six o'clock which told her she had at least fifteen minutes before Charming decided to get up and the girls may sleep until noon since she wasn't making them go to school. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up in bed rubbed the kink out of her neck.

Glancing over to the couch, she noticed the blanket was on the floor and the girls weren't there sleeping anymore. She rubbed her eyes and sleepily moved toward the steps, assuming the girls had just moved up to bed in the late hours of the night. The couch couldn't have possibly been comfortable for two teenagers, even if they were small.

She dragged her feet up the steps leaning on the rail more than she normally would. She was more of a morning person than her husband and her oldest daughter, but six in the morning was still six in the morning.

As she reached the top of the steps and froze. Both beds were made, just as they had been the night before. Never slept in. Even the girls' baby blankets that normally slept with were untouched, telling her they didn't come up in the middle of the night.

"Emma? Rose?" Snow called cautiously at first. She moved toward the bathroom first and tried control her knocking to where it was calm and not banging. When there was no answer she threw the door open to find it empty.

"Emma? Rose?" Snow called again, this time louder. She ran down the steps to find her husband stirring from his sleep. There was really no other rooms to search as she ran over to her husband and shook his shoulders.

"David! David, the girls are gone!" Snow cried.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "What?"

"The girls! They're-"

She turned around just as the front door opened to see the girls walking in with their jackets pulled tight around them and grocery bags in their hands. Snow took a deep breath and let herself relax down on the bed, unnoticed by the girls.

Emma walked toward the counter, her tennis shoes squeaking slightly against the hardwood floor. Rose kicked the door shut behind them, making a little too much noise making both girls flinch.

"Shh!" Emma hissed with a hellish look.

"Sorry!" Rose whispered back.

Emma sighed as she tried to gently lay the groceries on the table as quietly as possible. "This is a terrible idea," she sighed. "I can't cook. I can barely make toast. If you wanted to make breakfast, we should have stuck to cereal."

Rose pursed her lips in thought as her eyebrows came together. "I took a life skills class... we made breakfast in it once."

Oh, her certainty was so comforting."Definitely should have just _bought _breakfast from Granny," Emma complained taking the pancake mix out of the bag. "Or alerted Graham to stand by with a fire extinguisher."

Snow smiled as Rose walked over to read over her sister's shoulder. Her face contorted as she grabbed the box to get a closer look at instructions. "Mrs. Raines always said that anyone could make pancakes..." She scrunched her face as she tried to get a better look.

Emma snorted. "Actually I think her words were, 'Ain't nobody can't make flapjacks. Alls you gots to do is read!'" she said matching the old woman's temperament with superb skill. "And even she could do that."

Rose tossed back her head as she laughed. "She wasn't that bad. As long as you stayed out of trouble."

"Oh yeah. I lost count on how many times she pulled me over her knee and beat my ass."

"Or how many times she walked by while we were plotting and casually slapped us in the back of the head. 'Damn ya, devils. Twins. Twice da trouble, twice da mess. Ain't even ten and makin' me run like 'dare teenagers.' "

The girl laughed as they searched the kitchen for the correct ingredients. Snow was baffled how warmly they talked about a woman that didn't seem warm at all. Still, Snow knew that they probably gave everyone a run for their money when they were younger. They _are_ a little devilish sometimes, and a little too quick on their feet at times.

But chefs they were not.

Still, she debated on whether or not to just crawl over to her side of the bed and let the girls try.

"You may want to help them," Charming whispered noticing the girls seemed completely lost in the kitchen as they held up two different sized mixing bowls and he was fairly certain they didn't know what a whisk even looked like.

Snow gave him a challenging smile. "Maybe _you _ should help them. You loved making me breakfast at home. And they-" she glanced toward her daughters, "-have always loved your pancakes, from the very beginning."

He didn't argue, just grabbed his wife by her sides and flipped her over him to her side of the bed, eliciting a laugh from her. Without second thought he crashed his lips onto hers and felt her easily comply.

Both girls cleared their throats in unison, glaring at their parents. David glanced over his shoulder and nearly started laughing at the look they were receiving from two very annoyed fourteen year olds.

Pushing the blankets up and standing, dressed in his plaid pajama pants and white t-shirt he walked toward the kitchen. "Alright, girls, let me show you how the _king _does it."

They easily moved out of the way as their father, barefoot and all, claimed the small kitchen area. They would never admit it, but they had never saw a man in the kitchen before. Well, in a real house kitchen. Yet, their father acted like it was completely normal for a man, a _prince_ actually, to be well acquainted with the kitchen.

He pushed the box of pancake mix aside, grabbed a bowl and the flour from the container by the stove. "Now my mother used to make the most amazing pancakes," he began.

"Wait a second, they had pancakes in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma questioned not quite buying it.

David looked at her in mock horror. "Of course! We had unicorns, you don't think we had pancakes?"

Rose laughed as Emma just seemed a little taken back. Snow came over from the bedroom and placed her hands on the girls' shoulders. "Why don't you two go up and change back into some comfy clothes and the three of us will call it a mental health day?"

Both girls looked at her with cautious excitement. "You mean, like skip school?" Emma asked, just to clarify.

Snow smiled. "Just this once. Besides, your bruise looks awful."

Emma gingerly touched the spot on her head that still gave her a headache. "So we can just... stay home? No strings attached? No bargaining?"

Snow thought on that. "How about we just make the deal that you leave anything dealing with the oven or stove to your father or myself, until you've both had a few lessons with at least the fire extinguisher."

The girls grinned. "Sounds good," Rose said with a firm nod before hopping off the bar stool and running up the steps. "I call the penguin pants!"

Emma was off her stool in a second, fighting to beat her sister upstairs. "Uh uh! No! Those are mine! I stole them from Jenny Pinkston!"

They were gone in a flash, but their absence was followed by a loud crash that both their parents were choosing to ignore for the moment. Charming just grinned as he continued adding more ingredients into the bowl, topping it all off with a couple dashes of cinnamon and sugar, just the way he used to make it at home.

Snow sighed a little and rested her elbows on the counter. "I panicked this morning."

Charming just smiled. "I know."

"I woke up and they weren't here and with what happened last night... God, I felt like my world was completely ending and I was the worst parent on the face of the planet." As usual, she didn't care that she was rambling just a little. "A man just sees Emma, recognizes her as the savior, snatches her up and tells her to use magic that we don't know she has and then decides that one savior isn't good enough, he needs two. So I wake up and both girls were gone and-"

"You panicked," David finished for her.

"I panicked..." Pressing her face into her hands, she let out a exhausted groan. "Please, just find the man that did it, David."

He reached across the table and caught his wife's hand as she looked back up at him. "Snow, Mary Margaret and David have just as many allies here as you and I did back home. Granny and Ruby will look after the girls anytime they're around, we have Graham and the teachers at school, we even kind of have Gold. They are rarely without eyes on them, and now that something happened, it will be even more rare."

She exhaled and shook her head. "I wish Ruby was Red... She's sniff his sorry ass out and-"

"Haha! I win!" Rose cheered racing back down the steps in a t-shirt and fuzzy pants with penguins printed all over them.

"But I bet you have a bruise bigger than mine on your knee from diving for them," Emma said just as triumphantly as she galloped down the steps in also in a t-shirt but regular grey sweats.

They both looked between their parents, feeling like they interrupted something. David quickly saved the day as he flipped the pancakes. "So, who's going to make the hot chocolate?"

Rose jumped at the chance. "I know how to at least do that!"

"That means Emma can get the plates out for the pancakes," Snow said with a smile, grabbing the syrup out of the cabinet to warm up.

By the time everything was ready, the girls were starting to get antsy and David could have sworn at least one of their stomachs was grumbling. He also made up plenty of scrambled eggs and also the bacon he was surprised Snow had in the fridge. It was definitely a breakfast for a royal family.

David had never noticed until that moment that the girls never touched their food until they saw someone else do it first. Both girls sat at the table, with full plates in front of them, but politely declined eating until David took his first bite. It wasn't until then that they decided to dig in.

"Oh my God!" Emma moaned taking her first bite of pancake. "These have to be better than Granny's."

"It that cinnamon?" Rose asked just as blown away as her sister.

Charming smiled at Snow. Ever since the beginning they loved their daddy's pancakes. "Eat up. You're mother has been known to eat a whole batch."

Snow playfully hit his arm. "Only when I was pregnant!"

But the girls were already too focused on their food to notice anything else. Sometimes they really did eat like they thought their food was going to be taken away at any moment. As small as they were, it didn't seem to really matter. They had gained a couple healthy pounds since they came to Storybrooke, but it was pretty well known that Granny didn't let anyone starve, and the girls looked a little too close to that at first.

It was a relief that things were finally starting to come together, but they also realized there was still a curse to be broken and their home to return to. Snow and Charming were leaders, and they had to remember their people.

Gold was also thinking that the girls were taking their sweet time breaking the curse. They were too wrapped up in their little family. He needed the curse broken. They needed to get a move on, he needed to find his son.

He had a plan though. He had been watching Regina and Rose. He could see it in the evil queen's eyes what she truly desire now, and it wasn't just to keep the curse from unraveling. Rose. It would just be more desirable to take Snow's daughter away from her. Emma would eventually follow her sister as well. Especially with the help of a little magic.

At least, that's what he would lead her too believe.

Gold stood and walked over to the window of his shop to see a face he hadn't seen in Storybrooke before. It was a young face, a man just into his adulthood, kicking out the stand for his motorcycle. He was inspecting a piece of paper in his hand as he looked up at the building where the royal family lived.

The old man shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Unexpected visitors were not something he fancied, especially around such a sensitive project. But for the moment there was nothing he could do as the man entered the building.

"Seriously," Emma said taking a bite of her third pancake. "These are the best pancakes ever. Granny should take a lesson."

David flinched at the thought of someone telling Granny they could out cook her. "How about we just keep the pancakes a secret from Granny?"

Emma was too busy eating to argue as she shoved another bite in her mouth. Rose had finished a couple minutes ago and had taken it upon herself to clear the table and start dishes. Her mother was already finished with the dishes David had used to cook with and gladly helped her daughter with the rest.

Just as David was deciding to get up and get dressed for the day, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Rose said easily, drying her hands and walking toward the door. She was surprised when her mother reached out and pulled her back.

"Why don't you let your father get it?" Snow said keeping at tight hold on her daughter as her heart thudded in her chest irrationally. _Kidnappers probably don't knock, Snow..._

David just nodded and moved toward the door. When he opened it he saw the man on the motorcycle he had seen several other times around town. He knew the man was currently staying at Granny's but was wondering what the hell he was doing here.

"Hi, can I help you?" David said somewhat awkwardly as he rested his arm against the door frame.

The young man smiled. "Hello, my name's August. Is there any chance I could speak with Emma and Rose?"

_**Hope you guys liked this chapter! I had always planned on Snow and Charming talking about Jefferson, there was absolutely no way they were just brushing that aside. Anyway. I'd love to hear your thoughts and any ideas you may have. **_


	11. Bracelet

_"Hi, can I help you?" David said somewhat awkwardly as he rested his arm against the door frame. _

_The young man smiled. "Hello, my name's August. Is there any chance I could speak with Emma and Rose?"_

Both girls were struggling to look past their father to see the man's face, but David wasn't budging. His eyes narrowed at the young man as he stood straighter, ending just about the same height as the man.

"And what do you want them for?" His voice wasn't threatening, just protective. Something that made August smile.

He held up a small box. "Just returning something."

Without an invitation, he stepped past David to find a woman who may have gone by Mary Margaret and Snow White at some point the epiphany of a mother bear. The girls had grown a lot since the last time he had spoken to them. They seemed to grow into their large eyes a bit more, but still looked as strong as ever.

"Hey munchkins," he said with a smirk. "Remember me?"

Emma was still hesitant, but Rose's face softened. "Umm... I'm not sure... You look sorta familiar," she told the man, taking a step toward him despite her mother's silent protest.

Of course, Rose would be the one to even vaguely recognize him. He held his gently smile as he studied the girl. "It's been a long time. Last time we saw each other I was your age, seven years ago and you were dripping wet."

It was Emma's turn to flash into realization. "Oh my God! August? The boy from-"

Rose's face turned to embarrassed horror as she covered her face with her hands and stepped back toward her mother. "Oh my God..." she moaned sounding as though she wanted to disappear.

August bit back a laugh at the dark haired girl's reaction. "Yes, that one."

Feeling a little better, just a little, David closed the door and stood beside his wife making it obvious that there was going to be absolutely no chance at the man hurting his girls. "Is there something we can help you with?" he asked with authority.

August gave him an odd look, before relaxing back on his heels and smirking at the girls. "So it's true. You've already been concurring the curse." He smirked at the two girls who seemed completely baffled by his knowledge yet proud at the same time for the recognition. "Don't look so surprised. Rose was trying to cast me as a fairytale character years ago."

Again her cheeks burned crimson, but she stood strong. "Seriously, how did you know about the curse? How'd you find us?"

August glanced around the room. "Maybe it's best if we all sit first."

The girls made their way to the couch without much hesitation and Snow and David joined them showing their fierce protectiveness. Emma snickered at her sister's pink cheeks as August pulled a beaded bracelet out of the box. "Remember this?" he asked her.

"Yes..." she muttered, still extremely embarrassed. She even made a point to divert her eyes away from it so she didn't have to be reminded of her youthful indulgences.

"Of course she remembers," Emma chuckled. "You pulled her out of the creek that time when Francis What's-His-Face kept pulling her under. _She _thought she was going to drown."

Rose shot her sister a fiery look. "At least I got in the creek! At least I could swim! You sure weren't helping me!"

"I could swim. I just wasn't stupid enough to jump in a creek!" Emma shot back unable to hide her grin.

Snow and David always felt a little sad when they heard about the adventures their daughters had without them-_before_ them. It was just a reminder that they had missed all those little things, like teaching their daughters to swim for example.

Rose could almost feel her parents sadness and leaned over a little into her mother. Snow was very impressed how easily Rose just melted against her as well as how perceptive she was. Those big hazel eyes looked up into her mother's and Snow was wondering when the girl got used to saving other people.

"But thank you," Rose replied taking the beaded bracelet from August and slid it around her wrist. She remembered that it was too big when she made it. The purple, white, and red beads circled all the way around had lost some of their vibrant color with age, but they were still brilliant in her eyes. The colors inspired by her and her sister's baby blankets.

August turned slightly more sober as the girl seemed to absently play with her bracelet. "I know it seems very odd that a stranger rolls into town to offer his assistance, but I wasn't expecting you to be-um- _aware_, Your Majesties."

Both Snow and David just watched the man as he uncomfortably rubbed his hands together. Both girls recognized the face of wanting to say something, but not ready to face the consequences of the words.

"It can't be that bad," Emma said with a smile. "After all you did save Rose's life." There may have been a hint of sarcasm in there, but after all this was Emma.

Rose gave her sister a stern look. "I was terrified! You wouldn't even help me!"

"Why would I help you when August was there to save the day?" Emma replied, her smile turning more into a grin. "What did you call him for pulling you out of the water?"

Rose's eyes widened in horror, then narrowed in a very threatening way. "If you dare say it I will-"

"You-you saved me!" She dramatically pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and leaned like she was fainting into her sister. "You're my hero."

The death glare Rose was casting at her snickering sister warned her parents not to do any snickering of their own. The girl was living up to her name as the red in her cheeks moved from her cheeks down to her neck. "I was seven!"

"And so caught up in those fantasy books you put August right into it," Emma smirked. "Who knew it was actually our subconscious telling us that we're somehow related to fairytales."

Rose gritted her teeth. "So. Funny."

August just smirked. "I see you two get along about as well as you did then too."

Both girls looked at him, slightly embarrassed, but not embarrassed enough to stop snarling at each other. Emma was the first to purse her lips and change the subject a little. "So... who are you suppose to be?" Emma asked bluntly.

"Umm," August had been dreading this part. "Just think of me as someone who was suppose to look out for you in this world."

The girls seemed to shy away from him then. Obviously he didn't do a very good job and he just admitted he was partly to blame for the horrible childhoods he was already fairly aware of. After he grew up a bit, turned seventeen, he began to realize that the only way he could get what he wanted was by doing the job his father had asked him to do. The girls were the only way home and . He rubbed the back of his neck as the guilt was obvious in his expression. "And I apologize that I didn't exactly do my job. I was selfish and young. Even the time I did end up helping you it was a complete coincidence. But... I want to help now."

Charming kept his arm around his wife. "You already admitted you didn't do your job the first time, why should we trust you now?"

Emma looked at her father. No one had ever sounded so angry about someone hurting them. Normally if they commented at all, it was very passive. But her father sounded angry... he sounded like a dad.

"Because it's for my benefit too for the curse to break," August explained wearily, realizing that he was still living in the selfishness that had gotten him into trouble in the first place. "The curse has to break so I can be reunited with my poppa."

No one said anything, but at least they weren't attacking him now. He had their attention and had already made the connection. They all knew what it was like to be looking for family and to be without them.

"I don't know how to break the curse any better than you do, but I'm another ally. I'll do whatever I can to help you. I owe you that."

August stood suddenly realizing that he was quickly wearing out his welcome. "I'm sure it's not too hard to find people around town, but I'm staying at Granny's if you would like to accept my assistance."

He mumbled some sort of goodbye before escaping to the door.

Emma was the first to talk. She slid down deeper into the couch and lazily turned her head to her sister. "Is it just me or do you also feel like we have to be the weirdest people on this planet?"

Rose just sighed and shrugged as her eyes fell upon the bracelet he returned to her. She pulled at it a little, testing its flexibility before sliding it onto her wrist. It fit perfectly. It didn't try and slide over her tiny hand anymore, but fit like she wished it would have so many years ago. _One bead for Emma, one bead for me, and one for Mommy and Daddy where ever they be._ She could remember singing the sad little song in her mind as she pieced the bracelet together in her second grade art class.

"I don't think we ever fit the bill for normal though," Rose replied finally as she stood and headed back toward the kitchen. "It's a good thing we're from some fairytale land because we wouldn't have stood a chance in this world."

Emma also stood and followed her sister, watching her as she rested her elbows against the island. "You would probably be a foster parent for dogs and teach sign language to elementary kids."

"You forgot to mention the fact I better make enough to survive you _mooching_ off me," Rose added grabbing another cup of hot chocolate and smiling at her sister. "You may think you're clever let's face it, if it wasn't for me you'd forget to eat."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I would be something awesome. We'd never make it if I didn't pick a few pockets now and then. Just call me Robin Hood." Then she stood a little straighter. "Plus, let's face it, I was the one who got the looks."

With that, Rose tossed a grape at her. "Whatever. Not everyone likes blondes."

At that Charming looked at his wife. "Just when I was going to say they're your children-"

"Emma shows her 'charming' characteristics?" Snow offered with her own smile. "You better be off to work before Graham thinks we've all been kidnapped."

With that he kissed her lips and smirked as the girls obviously averted their gazes. "I won't be far if you need me. Have a nice... mental health day."

Snow walked him to the door as the girls gave him a half hearted goodbye. If he didn't know better he would have sworn they were a little upset about him leaving. Snow looked up at him as he stood by the door. "We'll be okay."

"I know," he replied weakly. He looked back to the girls who seemed to be glancing at them oddly. They weren't anymore used to having people care about them than Mary Margaret and David were used to having people to care about. It was a learning process for all of them.

"You're starting bad habits. Letting them skip school," he teased.

Snow just grinned. "I've missed out on fourteen years of spoiling my girls. I think a day of playing hooky isn't all that bad."

He pecked her lips again and kept his head close to hers for a moment longer. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied easily, knowing just how much he meant it. "Now go!"

With that she giggled as she pushed him out the door and turned around to see the girls had already made themselves comfortable on the couch, oddly enough leaving a spot in the middle for her. There was a movie already playing and though she wasn't sure what it was, she didn't really care. Today was her day with her girls.

She sat down in the open spot and was not one bit surprised fifteen minutes later when both girls were no longer glued to either side of the couch but almost touching her. Emma absently twisted her hair as the plot thickened in the movie, but Rose seemed caught up with the bracelet on her wrist.

Suddenly she reached out and gently picked up Snow's hand, sliding the beaded band over their held hands and onto her mother's wrist. They didn't speak. Instead Rose offered her a small smile and leaned into Snow's side.

In a way the bracelet always belonged to Snow in Rose's mind. They were suppose to make the bracelets for someone special in their lives. She had given it to August that day because at the moment he was the only person, other than her sister, that ever did anything good for her. But if her mother had been in her life then, there was no doubt the bracelet would have gone to her. _One for Emma, one for me, and one for Mommy and Daddy. _

Rose ran her fingers over the beads on her mother's wrist and was slightly surprised when Snow caught it. Her mother's hazel eyes were glassy with tears as she intertwined their fingers before pulling both girls into her for a sort of hug.

Emma wasn't exactly sure what she had missed, but she decided not to fight the contact. Instead she rested her head against her mother's shoulder as her sister did the same on the opposite side. Tomorrow they would go back to school, tomorrow they would start focusing on the curse again, tomorrow would be another challenge in their seemingly endless quest. But today they would curl up on the couch and watch movie after movie. Eat overly buttered popcorn and drink a little too much hot chocolate until Charming got home. Then he would also join the fun. Tomorrow would have to come eventually, but the girls were learning to enjoy today.

August walked toward Granny's Inn and wasn't overly surprised when someone stopped him. He knew who she was, if only by reputation, but he wasn't scared of her anymore, at least not here. The last time he saw the woman he was six, at the royal wedding. She had made quite the entrance. That was fifteen years ago.

"I've seen you around town," Mayor Mills commented with a smile. "But I'm afraid we haven't been introduced."

The man smiled. "August." He extended his hand. "I'm a writer. Just came here for a quiet place to write."

Regina smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Storybrooke is most definitely quiet. I'm Regina Mills, the mayor. I trust you'll be staying out of trouble."

August shrugged a little. "I'm not the one that's in trouble."

With that, he moved swiftly past her toward the Inn. He had no intention of pretending to be friends.

Regina stared at him as he entered the building, completely dumfounded. She took a deep breath and bawled her hands into fists. All her control was being taken away. Everything she wanted, everything she sacrificed was going to be for nothing all because of two little girls.

For some reason she hesitated in her silent hate. She thought of that girl who sat in her kitchen eating Rocky Road ice cream. The girl that helped her with the door then waited to be invited in.

Snow White's daughter.

Snow White, the one person in the world she hated most for destroying her chance at true love.

Gold was right. The only way she would win was if she took something just as precious away from Snow and made sure she never got it back. Like her sweet little children.

"You know, it's not wise to plot on the sidewalk." Regina turned to see Gold walking toward her with his cane in his hand. "It's usually much more efficient to plot somewhere quiet and where people won't stare at you while you're grinning like a madman."

Regina just continued to grin. "I want Snow White to live the rest of her life without her precious little girls and know it was me that took them away."

Gold said nothing and gave nothing away on his features. "If you kill them the curse will be broken."

She simply shrugged. "I don't plan on killing any of them. I want them very much alive.


	12. Searching for Normal

Rose came skipping down the steps in black leggings, a red tunic, and a plaid scarf around her neck. Her dark curls cascaded down her back and frame her face that was highlighted with small amounts of makeup. The girl beamed at her father expectantly as she reached the bottom of the steps.

"How do I look?"

Snow was about to answer, but realized that the girl wasn't actually asking her at all. Before Charming could muster up the ability to speak, Emma appeared at the top of the steps. Unlike her sister, her hair was pulled back away from her face and she wore tight dark wash jeans with a black top.

"How do _we_ look?" Emma asked this time smirking at their attire already knowing they looked good.

_Not fourteen_ is what immediately came to mind as David struggled with himself to not send them upstairs and demand them to return in something closer to what Mother Superior would wear. Technically they weren't showing an inappropriate amount of skin, or anything like that, but they no longer looked like little girls when they were all dressed up to go out. He wondered if this would have been his reaction to their coming of age ball in the Enchanted Forest. Either way, being a dad was proving to be very difficult at the moment.

"Beautiful," he replied, something catching in his voice as he awkwardly cleared his throat. "Just like your mother."

They both looked pleased as Snow slid her hand into his. They were already having to deal with their little girls growing up when in Snow's mind they should have still been infants. David just continued to stare as Emma and Rose moved toward the door prompting him to get hi move on.

He had told them that he'd drive them to the party. Of course he knew very well that there was never a lot of trouble in boring ole Storybrooke with the curse, but the girls were already proving themselves talented at finding trouble. A trait they obviously got from their mother.

He glanced at his wife who smiled at him gently. Internally he wondered if Snow was having as much trouble with this as he was. Emma had even convinced Graham to give David the night off so he wouldn't try hovering and call it working. Of course that just mean the huntsman would do the hovering instead, but at least it wasn't their father.

"Well, are you coming?" Emma asked her father looking at him from the door. "Or do we have to walk?"

Like hell he'd let them walk anywhere looking like that. Especially with the Jefferson man still on the loose. "Alright. Let's go."

Emma and Rose both beamed, but then looked at their mother who had remained fairly silent, not wanting to press and overstep, but at the same time really wanting to be a part of their night as well. Rose gave her sister a small nudge with her shoulder, suggesting her sister be compliant and play her part.

Emma wasn't very good with the touchy-feely stuff like Rose, and this family seemed _very_ touchy feely. Of course, this was _her _family so she had probably get used to it. The only person that was really an exception to her anti-touchy-feeliness was Rose who had always been someone who felt a need to be physically close to her. Granted, that probably started in the womb.

Still, she gave her mother a little hug and a smile. It was much easier for Emma to be close to Snow than it was for her to be close to David. She wasn't sure why, but she just took to her mother quicker. "See you later?" Honestly, she wasn't sure why the words came out in a question, but Snow nodded anyway and kissed her forehead.

"David will pick you up about midnight," Snow replied knowing the girls purposely avoided calling David and her anything because they were never quite sure what the appropriate term was.

"How did we go from being Snow White and Prince Charming's daughters to Cinderella?" Emma quipped teasingly toward her sister who snickered and gave her a rough elbow to her ribs.

Before Snow could comment, Rose was next to give her a hug. Rose wasn't as awkward about hugs. They always seemed a little warmer, but Snow knew that Emma was just more guarded in general, but Rose was more guarded when it came to Snow. It was curious how these two girls who grew up in the same situations could be so very different about physical closeness. Rose loved being close to people, and Emma was gradually starting to accept the closeness too, with much help from her sister.

"Be careful," Snow told the girls lightly as she caught Charming's eye again and the girls escaped through the door.

Lori's house was pretty far into the woods, but Charming had a feeling that was exactly why the party was at her house. He promised the girls not to embarrass them and just stay in the car. He was told Lori's parents' names but they meant very little to him. The only way he was going to know anyone was if he recognized them from the enchanted forest.

"So I'll be right here to pick you up at twelve," David reiterated for them as Emma slid out of the truck and walked around to the driver's side window with Rose right behind her. "Call if you want me to pick you up earlier or if you need anything."

He really wanted to stress the word _anything_ but knew better as both girls nodded.

"Midnight we turn into pumpkins, got it," Emma joked and Rose laughed when David obviously didn't get it.

"We'll see ya then," Rose told him leaning through the window to give him a hug and staying there a bit longer before pecking his cheek. For some reason she felt closer to him that Snow. She worked harder to show Snow affection, but she never had to struggle with David. Maybe she was a born daddy's girl.

Emma hug him at all. She like David well enough, but she felt more comfortable with Snow. She _really _liked Mary Margaret. In her mind it wasn't fair that they were such different people, even if she would still go to her mother before going to her father.

The very ironic part was that Emma was her father made over and Rose was her mother. Even with the features they shared belonged to the opposite parent they felt closest too.

Emma was already walking toward the house while Rose stayed leaning in through the window at her father. "So if I want to come home..." she started softly, looking up at him with big child like eyes.

"Just call," he confirmed loving the way she lit up. Her light faltered a little as she looked toward the house. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

She shifted a little and looked back at him. "I've never been to a party. At first I was excited and now-"

"You're nervous?" Rose nodded in confirmation. David thought on that for a moment. "I think I know how you feel." He loved the way his daughter looked at him as he continued. "Well, you know that I wasn't always a prince, that I was actually raised very poor as a shepherd. Anyway, after things had settled a some of our friends were getting married and there was a huge party involved. Of course King George had spent weeks giving me crash courses in how to behave like royalty and all kinds of other thing so I would appear to be Prince James. But the idea of actually going to this party was terrifying for me."

Rose kept listening as she watched Emma enter the house and several of her new friends wave at her from the door. They knew she'd be in when she was done, so they didn't hover at the doorway.

"But you know what?" David told her making her turn back to face him. "What made it easier and helped me relax and have fun was having your mother there. It's always easier when you know you're not alone."

Rose smiled at her father as he gazed at her gently. "So you're saying that it won't be so bad since Emma's there?"

David just smiled. "She probably needs you just as much as you need her."

With that, Rose threw her arms around David's neck and snuggled in close. He couldn't have possibly know he was everything she had ever wanted in a father. Every time she had imagined her real dad, he was noble and strong. The kind of dad that would have carried her to bed when she fell asleep on the couch and kissed her knee when she scraped it. Her dad would chase away her fears that had graduated from monsters under her bed to what a real high school party consisted of.

"Thank you, Daddy," she said softly. With that she pulled away and looked toward the door of the house then back at her father. He winked at her and nodded as she stood a little straighter. That was his girl.

Emma was waiting for her just inside the door and she didn't question was took her so long, just studied her to make sure she seemed okay. She wasn't afraid that David would hurt her, but she did take a while outside.

Lily appeared behind them and smiled. "Glad you two could make it. The party's just about to start."

Emma and Rose exchanged nervous excited looks as Riker reached for the light switches and loud music shook the house. Neon lights were all that lit the house now and it was almost like being surrounded by Christmas tree lights.

"Welcome to the fun, girls," Alice called over the music obviously very proud of whatever she and Lora had cooked up.

Riker caught Rose's eye from across the room and sent her a daring wink. Of course Emma caught it and gave her sister a firm shove in his direction. Luke smirked at Emma who did her own sort of grinning as she walked over to him. When in Rome...

He opened the fridge a pulled out a beer. The party was buzzing with what seemed like every kid from every class she had, and then some. She had heard about Lori's parties, they were quite common and quite legendary. They said that her parents spent most of their time at the Rabbit Hole so even when they got home early Saturday morning, they usually slept late and then headed off to the Rabbit Hole again. Maybe the Enchanted Forest also had crappy parents or maybe this world just made them crappy.

"What's your poison?" he asked motioning toward the fridge of alcohol.

Emma casually leaned in and pulled out a beer like it was something she did as often as the rest of them. Luke grinned as he pulled out his bottle opener and popped cap off before doing the same for his.

He clinked his bottle to her and held her eye contact as they threw it back to take a large swig. Emma immediately wished she hadn't taken such a large swallow when she wasn't sure what to expect. Beer apparently tasted exactly like it smelled which was not very good.

She turned away from Luke trying to hide her disgust and hold her poker face, but Luke saw her real emotion and laughed. "Beer's an acquired taste. Once you get past the first one, they're much easier to drink."

Information filed, but Emma really wasn't sure if that meant she planned on drinking more than one or to remain clear minded. After all Rose seemed very wrapped up in a conversation she was having with Riker.

The party was shifting to the backyard where the bonfire was already burning. Alice jumped in beside Emma and offered her a smile. "Welcome to the party. Where's your sister?"

"Somewhere with Riker," Emma replied exchanging a knowing glance with Alice as Luke fell into step with them. She cautiously raised the bottle of alcohol to her lips again and Alice smirked before offering her wine cooler instead.

"Try this, hon. Not everyone likes beer," Alice smirked.

Granted the wine cooler was easier to drink... it sort of tasted like a weird citrus drink. It seemed too easy to drink, which was why she especially careful not to drink too much.

A couple hours passed and Emma realized she hadn't seen Rose in a while. She had to give it to her sister, Emma was very glad she came. Still, it would have just made her feel better to find her sister.

Rose having fun of her own. Riker and her had gone from casual conversation, to intense flirting, to dancing, and now they were sitting entirely too close to each other, their faces inches apart as they laughed and told embarrassing stories over their own drinks.

"I swear. It's true. Last weekend I nearly caught on fire because I was so sure I could jump over the campfire," Riker continued to laugh lightly at the memory as Rose chuckled too.

"Are you sure your name isn't Jack?" she questioned her voice slurred slightly from the alcohol. He gave her a funny look. "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candle stick? Mother Goose?" Rose was still grinning as he seemed to be caught up in her eyes. They were mostly green but had flecks of brown in them and maybe even a little blue.

His hand gentle cupped her face as she sucked in a breath. "You are unlike anyone I've ever met before," he told her, marveling at her like she was some lost treasure.

The worst felt too intense for her. She was fourteen and her history with boys was not exactly something that every fourteen year old experiences. Suddenly she leaned back, but he leaned in closer. And closer. And closer.

Crap. He was going to kiss her. She may have been a little thrown off by the alcohol in her system but quickly sobered up. He couldn't kiss her! That was _so _bad for more than one reason.

Without thinking, she shoved him sideways off the log they were sitting on and jumped up to see her sister doubled over laughing. Rose nearly ran to her and grabbed her arm. "I think we should leave," Rose hissed insistently, casting a nervous look over her shoulder at the boy who was just then starting to get up.

Emma's still laughing as Rose pulled Mary Mar-uh Snow's phone out of her pocket and called David's cell phone. It was only ten thirty, but Rose had a rude awakening that high school parties were not for girls who broke curses and informed people that they lived another life in a fairytale land with kisses.

Emma wasn't arguing either. She had fun, but the night had been made by watching her sister's face morph from flirtation to horrification and then her shoving a boy off a log onto his face. Yeah, she could go home.

"I can't believe you just did that!" she continued to laugh as Rose scowled.

"I just want to go home!" she complained as David's phone went to voicemail and she stomped her way down the road toward town with her sister right behind her.

"If that was on camera we could have made millions!" Emma exclaimed.

Rose ignored her and dialed the landline praying that _someone _picked up the phone before Riker could find them. She glanced toward the backyard to see him already pushing his way through the crowds of people toward them. She let out a disgruntled growl and pulled Emma toward the tree line, planning to hide until someone decided to answer the damn phone.

_"Hello?"_

Rose let out a grateful sigh at the sound of Snow's voice. "Will someone _please_ come get us?"

_"What wrong? Are you alright?" _Snow's voice was registering a whole new level of concern that made Rose roll her eyes.

"We're fine... can you just please come get us?" Rose pleaded as Emma leaned over her shoulder to the phone.

"Rose is trying to avoid further humiliation," Emma added. "You should be more worried about Riker."

Hazel eyes sparked with anger as she looked at her sister. "Do you want to get punched?"

"Better than being pushed off a log." Cheeky, that Emma.

Rose was moments away from attacking when Snow's voice sounded on the phone again. _"Okay! Okay! We'll be there in ten minutes."_

Rose shoved the phone into the pocket of her tunic and turned to her sister with complete rage burning in her eyes. "It's not funny!" Emma begged to differ.

By the time Snow and Charming pulled up, Rose was still standing with her arms crossed as Emma leaned against a tree. They were a few yards from the party, and the front yard looked disserted as lights beams from the back.

Snow exchanged nervous looks with David as the girls climbed into the back seat of her car. High school boy problems were normally filed under the _Mom_. Of course, this wasn't really fair since she never went through high school. Her fake memories were very cloudy about it as well.

"So... what happened?" Snow asked cautiously.

Rose said nothing and only glared at Emma when she opened her mouth. It was really hard for Snow to remember that the love and affection that came with being a mother, even if to two fourteen year olds that in your mind shouldn't me more than a couple of months, it probably wasn't as easy to suddenly be someone's daughter.

"Sweetie, it's easy to see you're upset. Maybe talking about it..."Snow looked at Rose expectantly while Emma took the hint to stay quiet as Rose pursed her lips in an attempt to stay mad and not go to crying.

Charming watching in his rearview mirror as Rose shifted but refused to say anything. Emma just smirked. "So you're not going to tell them how you shoved Riker off a log and into the woods before running off?"

"Nope. I figured you would," Rose replied bitterly not turning her gaze from the window.

Emma frowned reached for her sister's hand. Obviously she had pushed too many buttons and now Rose just wasn't up for playing her sister's stupid games. She was fed up and obviously hurt. Rose gave her sister a small smile at the encouraging squeeze Emma granted her sister.

"Sucks that we're the closest thing to normal we've ever been and yet the furthest away, right?" Emma prompted.

Rose nodded, glad that her sister may have been teasing her before, but she really did know what was going on inside her head. "Not all orphans find out they're Prince Charming and Snow White's kids and have to break some magical curse. Can't even kiss a boy at a high school party without alerting a teenage boy he's leading a double life and that he's actually from some fairytale land. That's enough to get him committed."

Emma grinned as Rose rolled her eyes. "You're so encouraging," the dark hair sister muttered.

David and Snow exchanged looks. Their daughters were very cryptic. In a way, they chose to share information with them, by sharing it allowed with each other. It was still too difficult for them to openly talk and share with their parents about things, but they had always been able to talk to one another.

The girls went up to their bedroom almost as soon as they got to the apartment. They weren't rude about it, and even said goodnight.

Snow looked up at David as he grabbed a t-shirt and pajama pants for bed. "They have an interesting way at keeping up at arm's length and letting us in at the same time."

David thought on that as he pulled his shirt over his head. "They're protecting themselves, but they are trying, Snow."

Snow nodded in bitter agreement. "It's just really..." She sighed. "I've loved them from the moment I knew about them. I loved them more than I thought possible and I can't show them because they back away when you get too close."

David sat down on the bed next to his wife and took her hand. "They love you as Mary Margaret. They'll love you as Snow too. I'm sure they didn't immediately attach to you before."

Her face contorted a little. "Well, no. But I hate that it's like I have to completely start over."

"You're not completely starting over. Those girls would have never came close to you if you were having to start completely over. They're just warming to a new idea and they're trying very hard."

Of course he was right. She leaned in close to him and kissed his cheek before grabbing her own night clothes.

"So your daughter pushed a boy off a long. Shouldn't you be proud?" Snow asked teasingly as she changed into her own pajamas and grinned when she felt him staring.

"Better than throwing a rock," David replied fondly as he rubbed his hand over the faded scar.

Snow scoffed and threw the shirt she was wearing at him. He just kept grinning. "Like mother like daughter."

She fell into him on the bed and kissed him passionately. Every day they kept learning about what it meant to be Emma and Rose's parents. Every day they fell deeper in love with them and took the steps the girls took toward trusting them with pride. Every day they wondered what life would have been like without the curse.

_The Enchanted Forest_

_Snow had been in labor for hours already. James held hand and whispered words of encouragement into her ear as she went through the most beautiful and painful experience of her life. _

_Doc looked back up at Snow again. "One big push, Snow White, she's almost here."_

_Snow did not need to be told twice. Her screams echoed through the castle hallways soon followed by the cries of their beautiful little girl. She was already wrapped in a blanket as Doc called for James. "Clean her. The other one is not wanting to wait."_

_Dumbly, James nodded and went over to the warm bowl and pitcher of water. There was the smallest signs of blonde hair as he gently pour the water over her head. She was so beautiful. Her strong lungs announcing her birth in the darkest moments their kingdom had faced. _

_Snow let out another scream that was met with just as furious crying. James looked over and saw Doc wrapping the other baby girl in a blanket. James carried their first born over to Snow and placed her in her mother's arms. Immediately the tears of pain, turned to tears of joy as they rolled down Snow's cheeks. She could literally feel her heart double in size as she held her little girl to her. By the look on her husband's face, he was experiencing a similar sensation. _

_"Hello, Emma," Snow said softly to her oldest daughter. "I'm your momma."_

_"And I'm your papa," James added, his voice cracking with emotion at the sight of his beautiful girl._

_Doc cleared his throat and offered the other little buddle to him. James stopped breathing at the sight of his youngest daughter. The second born princess. Her hair, unlike her sisters. was much more than peach fuzz and was as black as night. _

_"Hello my Rose Red," James whispered softly to the already calmed baby who was dozing to sleep. It obviously been a rough trip into this world, and an earlier trip than expected as well. _

_Before James could hand the other precious child to his wife, Red ran into the room. "James, Snow, we don't have much time. The Evil Queens men have already breached the castle."_

_Snow reacted before James, giving both her little girls a kiss on the forehead before handing Emma off to Red. "Take them to the wardrobe! Quickly!"_

_The only hesitation James had was to kiss his wife. "They'll save us," he promised her as he and Red took off toward the nursery._

_Snow sat alone in her room, Doc had left to be with his brothers and Snow was completely alone. She had only held Emma for a matter of minutes and Rose... She never got the chance to hold her other baby. _

_Twenty-eight years was a very long time to go without holding her daughter for the first time or again. Twenty-eight year without her babies. _

Emma looked over at her sister who was holding her baby blanket against her face as she tried to force the embarrassing moments of earlier in the night out of her head. She was mad and embarrassed but not really upset anymore.

"I could beat him up," the blonde offered looking up at the ceiling as she played with a strand of her own hair.

She absently glanced at Rose to and noticed her hearing aids already on the table. Groaning, she picked up her pillow underneath her head and slung it at her sister. Rose turned over and saw her sister laying her side staring at her.

**-Yes?-** Rose signed not even completely turning around.

**-I could beat him up.- **Emma offered again with a menacing grin. **-Couldn't tell everyone what happened with a broken jaw!-**

Of course it was an empty threat, but Rose gave her sister a firm look. **-Because that would really get us brownie points.-**

Brownie points meant little to Emma when her sister was upset. **-We'll break the curse, Rose. We'll find a normal.-**

**-Do you really believe that? I just don't think normal is meant for us.- **Rose sighed and looked up at the ceiling, signally the end of the conversation. But Emma had more to say. With a groan, she rolled off her bed and moved to her sisters.

**-So what if it's not? Normal would just be boring now.-** Emma replied. **-But I'm happy here. Normal or not. We have a family.-**

That made Rose smile, but she quickly returned to her firm facial expression. **-Tomorrow I think we should talk to the only person who knows how to break the curse.-**

Emma gave her a bewildered look.** -Who?-**

** -Rumplestiltskin.-**


	13. Painting and Sword Play

Emma stared at her father as she saddled her horse. It felt like he was trying too hard. Where her parents got the brilliant idea to split her and her sister up for the day, each taking one kid, was beyond her.

David knew very well that she was not happy with being separated from her sister. When he and Snow suggested that Emma come to the stables with him while Rose helps Snow run errands, their faces were identical. Distrusting was the number one thing that flashed over their features.

Of course the girls didn't spend every waking minute together, but if they separated, it was always on their terms. The fact that their parents, the people they were suppose to feel safe with, was pulling them in two different directions made them uneasy.

If it was up to Emma, she would have said _hell_ no. But Rose, the ever loving Rose, took a leap of faith for them.

"So... We're just going to ride horses today?" Emma said awkwardly.

David offered his daughter a kind smile. "Unless there is something else you'd like to do."

Emma turned away from him and ran her hand down the large creature's neck. There wasn't really anything she wanted to do, but she did like riding horses. "This is fine," she replied without looking at him.

David realized early on that Emma was not going to warm up to him like Rose did. He knew it would be hard, but right then, she was not letting him anywhere near her. Looking at his phone, he sent his wife a text.

**How's things on your side?**

Snow looked down at the message only for a second before her eyes were back to being glued to her daughter, trying to cope with what her daughter had just told her.

Rose just sat there, completely calm, blatantly ignoring her mother's shock and concern.

"You talk to Regina? Regularly?" Snow said slowly, trying not to sound like she was coming unglued, because she definitely was on the inside. Her fourteen year old daughter, her fragile, sweet, young Rose had made friends with public enemy number one and was expecting her mother to not freak out.

"Yes," Rose replied simply reaching out and catching Ruby's sleeve. "Can we have two hot chocolates with cinnamon and something alcoholic for her?"

Ruby just smirked and walked behind the counter. Snow just continued to stare at her, now also contemplating the what Red would say when she remembered who she was. Rose was Snow made over, and Snow knew it. That's exactly why Snow was so afraid.

"Rose, you don't understand. Regina-"

"Is evil. She's bad. I know," Rose said calmly. "You had plenty of chances to kill her before and you gave her several chances-"

Snow scoffed. "And look where it's got us!"

Rose ignored her. "Because somewhere deep down is that person that saved your life." They fell silent for a moment as Ruby placed two mugs of hot chocolate on the table followed by a shot glass of a golden liquid. Rose and Red exchanged humored glances in a way that made Snow dread the day that Ruby remembered and there would be one more person wrapped around the girls' little finger.

"She's never done anything to me-" Rose continued.

"Except kidnap you. Let's also not forget she's the reason for the curse!" This is what Snow got for having a daughter _exactly_ like her. Charming would be laughing if he was here watching this. She knew it.

"She even _listens_ to me, something a lot of people don't do." Now there was much more a bite to Rose's words. Her hazel eyes were now baring into Snow. "Sometimes people think that just because my ears don't work, I don't have a voice. _Mary Margaret_ always heard what I had to say."

The words hit her like a punch in the face. Actually, she would have preferred a physical attack rather than a jab at her mothering ability.

"They also forget that I _do _have hearing aids and I _can_ hear what's going on. I know it's hard for you and I'm trying to deal with that, but I need you to be a little more empathetic to our situation too," Rose added, her voice sounding more like her father's for a moment when he was trying to reason.

"But why Regina?" Snow said finally, sinking back in her seat and looking at her daughter. "Why her? More than anything, I want to know you, but you talk to her."

Rose looked into the foamed on her hot chocolate as she absently swirled the spoon inside the cup. "Because wants the same thing as all of us, really. A happily ever after."

For a long moment, Snow just watched her daughter carefully meet her eyes. She felt guilty. She was trying so hard to play catch up and be a mom and accept the fact her babies weren't babies at all, that she didn't think about what they needed her to be. They had grown to love Mary Margaret. Though the woman was not a favorite characteristic of Snow, her focus was strictly the girls and what they needed, not what she needed from them.

After several seconds, Snow reached for Rose's hand on the table. "I am so sorry," she said gently. "Really, I am so sorry."

Rose just offered a wounded smile. "I am too. But I'm not going to quit talking to Regina. She's not going to hurt me."

Snow kept herself from arguing, only because Rose really believed that there was something inside the Evil Queen that wasn't so evil.

"Also, Emma and I have decided that we should ask Rumplestiltskin for help, and before you go off on how that's a bad idea, you've also gone to him for help many times before," Rose pointed out sending a knowing look at her mother.

Snow just blinked. For some reason, this was not how she imagined parenting. Wasn't the parent suppose to tell the child what to do and be the one who gave no tolerance for argument? For a moment she tried to remember doing such things to her parents, but she couldn't really remember at the moment.

"Anything else you'd like to share?" Snow asked slightly flustered.

Rose smirked. "I didn't have Ruby bring you that shot for no reason."

Emma kicked her heels into the horses sides and clicked her tongue as they took off. Charming was right on her tail, as she raced through the woods. Maybe he was letting her win, but she was having too much fun to care. Her wooden sword was tied to her hip and no sooner than Charming got level to her, she drew it.

He had his own wooden sword ready and smirked at the look of determination and excitement all over her features.

It was the most he had ever seen her let go, and of course it was. Horses and swords were in her blood. It should make her happy.

The girl pulled on the reins and leaped off the horse, landing easily on her feet as the horse slowed to a halt. If Snow had seen it, she would have held her breath, probably waiting for a broken ankle, but she would have also been in awe of how much Emma looked like her father.

Charming did the same, landing several yards in front of her. He would have laughed if didn't have to stay so focused as Emma charged him with her wooden sword. She had her father's natural good form and was as quick on her feet as she was with her wit.

Her first swing was a little wild and easily dodged, but he wasn't expecting his dodge to be met with her planted foot to trip him.

He nearly hit the ground, but quickly recovered in time to block her next swing and counter it. Defense didn't seem to be something she was great at, not that it was surprising. In life Emma's motto was already "A good defense was a strong offense".

But as David continued, he realized her wooden sword was still heavy and tiring on her arms. Her attacks became less controlled and she ended up tripping herself up and then tripping over his sword and hitting the ground.

David smiled as he offered his daughter his hand. "I'm impressed."

Emma just dusted herself off and beamed at him. "_That_ was fun!"

They laughed together. For a moment, David realized that if they had been in the enchanted forest, this is what their games would be like. Sword fighting, horseback riding, laughing with his girls.

"What do you think Rose and Snow are up to?" David asked checking the time. They had already been out for several hours. It would be getting dark soon and he was already a little more tired than he would like to admit.

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. Rose said she had something planned. From experience, that usually means someone gets in trouble."

David smirked. Of course, he had a feeling that Rose and Emma spent a lot of time causing trouble together. He'd expect nothing less from his daughters.

Rose couldn't keep herself from laughing as Snow stared at her. So she had just successfully broke into the clock tower library and had managed to get Snow White to follow her. Yes. She was enjoying herself.

"Why on earth would this place be locked up?" Rose asked her mother as she walked down another row of books.

Snow just shrugged, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact she was committing a fairly serious crime with her husband and best friend as Deputy and Sheriff. It also concerned her how easy it was for her daughter to break in without a sound.

"It's almost sad, isn't it, Snow? I mean, all these stories locked away from people?"

Yes, Snow was suddenly sad, but it wasn't because of the library. It was the way Rose said "Snow" like she was testing out the word. Like she was trying to figure out what would be easier between Mary Margaret and Snow. Snow was her real name, and even though Rose wasn't quite used to using it, it was so much smoother than "mom".

"It's been locked for as long as I can remember. So, that probably means for the last fourteen years," she replied with a slight sad laugh.

Rose just looked at her mother with those gentle eyes. "I wanna show you something."

Reaching out, she grabbed her mother's hand and guided her toward the stairs up toward the clock tower.

Snow didn't even have to ask what she wanted to show her as they stood at the top of the steps, the area lit by the sunset flowing through the stained glass clock. She had begun painting their story, the story of Prince Charming and Snow White, along the walls of the tower. Everything she had read, going around the room.

"Wow, you are so talented," Snow gasped.

Rose did spend a lot of time out on her own. She took a lot of walks and Snow had only just realized where her walks led her.

"But where'd you get the paint?" she asked noticing the seemingly endless amounts of paints around the edge of the room.

"Regina," Rose replied simply. "She was the one who gave me the idea. She said it's what you used to do when you were a kid and you were upset. She was just trying to make me feel better."

Snow just blinked at her. "Regina told you that?"

Rose just nodded as she picked up brush and dipped it in paint. Yes, Snow painted when she was a child, but she wasn't anywhere near as skilled as her daughter. She did landscapes, not true art and storytelling.

"She told me up here was the quietest place in the town. It's place where someone car hear what nothing sounds like." Rose reached for her hearing aid and removed them with confidence Snow had never seen. Normally they made her uncomfortable. "Where someone else can be like me."

Rose just watched her mother as silence took over the room. It was true. There was no sound to be heard. No crickets chirping, no wind blowing, no cars running. Compete silence. It was... lonely feeling.

But as Snow looked back at her daughter, she just returned the genuine smile that covered her face as she calmly put her hearing aids back in. "You wanna help? Regina will sometimes touch up where the paint didn't take very well."

Again, Snow's heart ached. Not only had Regina given her daughter and outlet, she had also been the first person Rose shared it with. Unless Emma had been up here as well, which was completely possible.

"Why do you trust Regina?" Snow asked uneasily, trying to hide her hurt. "You realize she's the reason you and Emma ended up in this world without us, right? That was Regina."

Rose seemed to think on this for a long moment as she ran her paint brush up and down a single spot on the wall, starting a new image.

"Yeah, but aren't we suppose to believe that there is good in everybody? I've seen the good in her," Rose replied. "Most the time when people hurt other people it's because they're hurting too. I think Emma and I are good examples of that, don't you?"

Snow was in awe of her daughter as she continued to paint. For a moment, she took a step back and really looked at the picture in front of her, wishing she could see the world like Rose did. Wishing that in the darkest times, the light was just as clear.

But that was what was so odd about Rose. It wasn't that she could see the light in the darkness, it was that she could tell the difference. She stood in the middle of the balance. Rumplestiltskin knew that already. She was the one that was touched with the darkness as a child even though she was born from the purest light. Rose Red was magic of the most dangerous sorts.

_**I hope you guys liked this chapter! I actually wasn't going to continue this story because of the lack of feedback from the last chapter, but due to the extreme amount of followers I've been getting this week, I went ahead and decided to keep moving with this story. **_


	14. Turnover

Emma woke to a painfully familiar sound. Her heart was thudding in her chest so madly it hurt as she leaped off her bed and stumbled to her sister's aid.

Rose was flailing in her bed, tears streaked her cheeks and her entire shaking body in a cold sweat. Another cry for help came with more sobs as Emma grabbed her sister's shoulders. Even though this was something Emma was familiar with, it did not mean she was used to it. Nightmares were more common in the foster system, they came and went since they arrived in Storybrooke but this was the first really bad one since they had arrived.

"Come on, Rose," Emma groaned, tossing a nervous look over her shoulder to the stairs. "Wake up!" Giving Rose a firm shake, she knew her words were pointless. It wasn't like Rose could hear her.

The last thing they needed was to wake up David and Mary Margaret downstairs, but she just let out another hard sob that shook her entire body.

"Dang it, Rose, don't make me slap you," Emma muttered under her breath. The sound of footsteps rushing up the steps made her groan as she glared at her sleeping sister. "See? Now look what I have to deal with."

"What's wrong?" Snow asked moving toward the girls, but stopping short by the harsh glare she received from her oldest daughter.

"Nothing. I can handle it," Emma replied shortly. It was harsh, but it was better than saying _Oh, you know, the years of trauma catching up to her in her dreams thanks to you shoving us in a wardrobe and getting us shipped into the foster system, basically an express lane for abuse. _Emma was tired, and cranky, and she was in no mood to deal with these people on top of it.

Both Snow and David watched as Emma touched Rose's face, willing her to wake up, but it only resulted in panicked cries and Emma's hands getting pushed away.

"Let me-" David began but Emma held up her hand.

"No offense, but I've been doing this a lot longer than you," she fired at him.

Offense taken, blow received, causalities caused.

Emma's words sent both her parents retreating a step. This was why it was easier to talk to Rose. Rose expressed her hurt with harsh words as well, but they weren't meant to cause the downright pain Emma did. Rose could be blunt if needed, but Emma was cold and raw. This was especially true when it came to someone getting too closer to her little sister.

All this was their fault anyway. So what if they were sent through some stupid portal to break a curse, they had their own curse and it had already broke them.

"Come on, Sis, wake up," Emma almost pleaded reaching out and wiping her sister's tears. "Just wake up, it's just a bad dream."

David felt Snow move into him more as they watched, feeling like complete outsiders to the sister's worlds. They wondered if Emma would ever really let them in, or if Rose would trust them the way a child should trust her parents.

Hazel eyes blinked awake, but only started to cry harder when they landed on her sister. She threw her arms around Emma's neck and sobbed. "I just want him to stay away!" Rose cried. Emma held tight to her sister, completely oblivious to the two people watching her fall apart. "I kept yelling but no one came. No one ever came..."

Emma held her sister as tight as possible as if to silently say _I came for you. I will always come for you. _Because they were all they had.

David tugged on Snow's hand, signaling that they should leave now before they were noticed by Rose who would only be more upset that she was seen at such a weak moment.

But even after the nightmare, no one slept that night. Emma and Rose were busy thinking about those moments when no one saved them, when they needed help and there was no knight in shining armor, or mommy or daddy, or anybody that gave a damn. Emma was the tough one because she was the one that couldn't stand to feel it anymore. Rose was the strong one because she could survive the feelings that overwhelmed her.

David and Snow. They were the villains of their children's story. No matter how many times they tried to blame Regina, it still fell on them that in a way they chose themselves over their children. Even if it was something they never meant to do, it still happened and it they could never do it again.

Regina woke to the sound of someone pounding on her front door. She grudgingly rolled over and looked at the alarm clock on her bed. It was barely past six in the morning and there was only one person she could think of that would be knocking on her door at this hour.

She opened the door and was surprised when the normally spunky happy-go-lucky fourteen year old girl throw herself into Regina's arms and cry. Regina held the girl, gently shushing her as she cupped the girl's face and pulled her back just enough to look her in the eye. "What's wrong, dear?"

Rose just shook her head and held onto Regina tighter.

"Honey, I can't help if you don't talk to me," she told the little girl hugging her close.

Regina moved them out of the doorway so they could at least close the door. "I don't want to be angry, but I can't help it," Rose told Regina as she took a step back and Regina wiped away her tears with the pads of her thumbs. "They chose their people over their children and we're the one that got hurt."

A wave of guilt washed over Regina as she realized in some respects she was the one that caused this. She was the one that cast the curse that made this girl feel like this. She never cared before the way others felt, much less the way one person felt.

But as Rose cried into her chest, all she wanted to do was make it better. Regina hugged the girl a few moment longer before letting her go. "How about you tell me what happened and I'll bake us something to sweet?"

Rose wiped her eyes. "But-but it's six o'clock in the morning."

"I'll make apple turnovers, they're sort of breakfast-y," Regina replied returning the smile she received from the girl.

Rose liked being in the kitchen with Regina. Her kitchen was also _much_ larger than the one at home, and she would never ask Rose if she'd like to help, but expected her to. From the first time she was in a kitchen to then she had learned a lot. Of course Mary Margaret would ask if she wanted to, but Rose always felt the need to decline because she didn't want to look dumb. Regina would show her how to do whatever was needed.

"Go ahead and get some of the apples out of the fridge," Regina told her as she pulled out the flour from one of the cabinets and a large bowl. "Grab the sugar too."

Rose obeyed. She was very familiar with every function of the room by then, maybe even more familiar than her own kitchen. She found the cutting board and the knife and began her duty of slicing the apples.

The entire time they talked, really talked. Rose admitted her feelings toward her parents and her sister. By the time they had sat down to eat the turnovers, Regina had been doing too much thinking.

"Rose," she said quietly, poking at her turnover with the fork, "Do you like living with your parents?"

Rose opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated. She took a moment to think on this. "I-I love them," she replied nervously.

Regina could feel there was something missing in her answer. "But?"

"But they're _so_ perfect. Emma and I aren't perfect. We've done bad things, really bad, and had bad things happen to us. It doesn't seem possible that Snow White and Prince Charming are our parents."

And that was all she needed to hear. "Rose, why don't we go ahead and make your parents a turnover as well?"

Rose gave her a funny look.

"Call it a peace offering. I'm sure it will help you realize your parents aren't as perfect as you think you are." Regina offered the girl a sweet smile before gently patting her arm. "You run to the bathroom to get cleaned up and I'll start getting everything ready."

Rose's baffled look spread into a smile as she threw her arms around Regina's neck. "Thank you."

Regina held Rose for a few moments before giving her a kind smile and sending her on her way. For a moment Regina sat there, smiling to herself before she stood up and reached for a very special apple, tucked away in the cabinet. She had used Jefferson's hat and every ounce of magic she had brought to this world to retrieve the apple. Though, she didn't know what she was going to do with it at first, she now had a very clear idea.

The twins would have no real reason to break the curse after their parents were cursed to a sleeping state. Rose would come running to her and Emma would eventually follow. The curse would live on, and she would have the saviors.

Regina cut into the apple.

Emma sat at the island in the kitchen, eating her bowl of cereal even though it was ten in the morning already. Rose walked in not long after she finished.

"Where's Mary Margaret and David?" she asked as she carried the neatly covered turnover to the kitchen counter.

"They went to the store, they said they'll be back soon," Emma replied disinterested in anything that had to do with her parents. "Where have you been all morning?"

"Talking. With, uh, Regina," Rose said carefully knowing that Emma held very similar feelings toward Regina than their parents.

"Talking? Just talking?" Emma asked giving her sister a hard look. "What's that?"

Rose stood a little in front of the plate. "It's a turnover that Regina and I made for David and Mary Margaret. A peace offering."

Emma was stunned to silence, her eyes widened a little with shock as she shook her head. "Are you honestly that dense? Don't tell me! It's apple!"

"Well-"

"Oh my God, Rose! It's a trap!" Emma snapped, reaching for the plate.

Rose grabbed it and held it out of her reach. "Come on, Em, Regina is not as bad as everyone makes her seem! She talks to me, she's nice to me-"

"She put our mother under a sleeping curse that nearly killed her, she cast a curse on all the fairytale characters-"

"She's trying, no one wants to give her a chance," Rose argued.

"It's a trap, Rose, don't be stupid," Emma snapped roughly.

"I trust her!" Rose fired back, pulling the wrap off the plate and turnover. "I'll prove it to you."

She took the turnover in her hands and before Emma could stop her she took a large bite of the turnover. She held a smug look as she stared back at her sister until something hit her. Her head started spinning.

Emma lunged to catch her sister as she fell, but she didn't get there quick enough as Rose hit the floor hard, the treat still in hand.

"Rose! Rose!" Emma cried falling to her knees beside her sister. Her breathing was shallow and her skin was already getting cold. "Rose!"

She jumped up and grabbed the phone off the desk and dialed a familiar number.

_"Hello?" _Mary Margaret's voice answered making Emma want to start crying.

"Rose! She ate something and she just fell and-" Her voice was fast and panicked, so much so that Snow was having a hard time grasping what she was saying.

_"Emma, you have to calm down, I can't-"_

Emma groaned. "You have to get here _now!_" she nearly shouted, tossing the phone aside and looking back to her sister. "Why can't you ever just listen to me?"

This time, Rose had brought the nightmare among herself.

Emma took a deep breath and grabbed Rose's arm and managed to get her sister's weight across her shoulders enough for her to stand. Yeah, she was about to carry her sister down the steps on her back, but her sister had just taken a bite of some type of poised turnover and she wasn't sure how long she was going to keep breathing.

Her steps were shaky but she had never been more happy to open the door of the door of the building and see Graham pulling up.

"Dear gods, Emma! What happened?" he asked throwing the car into park and pulling Rose off Emma's back and into his arms.

"She ate a turnover Regina made for Snow White and Prince Charming," she replied with a bit of an eye roll. "I would be angrier if I wasn't so scared."

Graham gave Emma a look as he gently laid Rose in the back of the car. She sounded thoroughly pissed already so he was wondering how mad she would sound if fear wasn't an issue. "You're parents called me when you called them, and I got here as soon as I could," Graham told her as they both got in the car as well.

"Yeah, because they have you pretty well babysit us anytime they're not around," Emma snapped. "Not that I'm particularly angry about it right now, since it's coming in handy."

Graham pulled his cell phone out of his shirt pocket and offered it to Emma. "Call your parents and tell them we're taking Rose to the hospital."

But Emma held her hands up. "Uh, no. I do not want to make that call."

Graham gave her an incredulous look. "What?"

"You're David's friend, you tell him."

"You're his _daughter_. Rose is his daughter-"

Emma glared at him and he rolled his eyes. "But I will make the life altering call that his daughter is unconscious and unresponsive and is being rushed to the hospital because she ate something prepared for them by the evil queen. Thank you, _princess_."

Of course the addition of "princess" to his statement was only to grind her nerves a little more, something he sort of enjoyed doing because she had a way of doing it to everyone else. It was a way that almost earned respect with her. If you were able to pick on her a the same time that she needed a breather, it usually ended with Emma being a little more relaxed.

Graham quickly dialed David's number as he flipped on the sirens and lights. "David, we're taking Rose to the ER... ... She's unconscious from something she ate.. ... No, not an allergic reaction. Well, Regina made it." Graham and Emma exchanged nervous looks as David's panic blew up through the phone. "We'll meet you there."

The phone was stuffed back into his pocket as he glanced at Emma in the passenger seat. "Do you and your sister make some sort of bets on who can take the most years off your parent's lives?"

"What?" Emma replied as she held onto the "oh-shit" handle and Graham took a turn a little faster than needed.

"Look, your dad and I are friends so I have a pretty good idea of some of the stuff you pull. You should really consider going easier on them, they're trying their best," Graham replied this time keeping his eyes on the road.

"Us? God, why does everyone think we should go easier on them? Maybe they should go easier on us," Emma snapped. "Rose, my little sister, is the only thing that we should be worried about right now. She's the only thing that really matters right now."

Graham didn't say another word as he pulled up to the front doors of the hospital. He jumped out of the driver's side and scooped Rose back into his arms just as David's truck pulled up behind him.

"Oh my gods," Snow gasped as Graham passed Rose into her father's arms and her head fell back limply.

"She said that she and Regina had breakfast together and then they made you two a turnover as some peace offering," Emma explained as they all rushed in behind David and Graham. Snow just held Emma's shoulders as Graham called for a nurse.

One of the nurses was there immediately with a bed and Dr. Whale was in there in moments as well. Now the true panic was setting in. Emma turned into her mother and clung to her shirt. David was moving with Rose, calling urgently to his little girl as they wheeled her back.

"Rose, open your eyes," he called to her, shaking her slightly. "Rose, Daddy's here. Daddy's here."

Snow hugged Emma to her as they both watched the scene unfold. "She ate Regina's turnover..." Emma kept whispering, repeating it over and over again as Snow held her held her tightly.

Dr. Whale looked at David. "Mr. Nolan, you have to take a step back."

"I'm not leaving her!" he shot back looking down at his dark haired daughter. He ran a hand over her wild curls. She woke him and he would be right there when she woke up.

"Regina..." Emma whispered again making Snow look down at her.

Regina did this to her daughter...

Snow spun on her heels and marched toward the door leaving Emma baffled. Finally she took off after her.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Emma called, following her mother out to her father's truck. "Where are you going?"

"Stay with your father, Emma," Snow replied shoving the keys into the ignition and giving her daughter a glare as she climbed into the passenger seat. "Emma-"

"No! You don't get to leave right now! You don't get to walk away from her when she needs you!" Emma nearly yelled. "You don't get to leave!"

Snow gave her daughter an alarmed look before she realized what Emma was saying. Her face softened and she gently touched her daughter's face. "Emma..."

"People always walk out on us. Please don't be like them. Please don't leave because Rose needs you!" Emma told her mother as tears sprung to her eyes. She reached for the hand that was on her cheek and held it. "She believes in you. _I_ believe in you."

"Sweetie," Snow said softly, pulling Emma into her arms. "Sweetie, I'm not walking out on you. I would never do that, I would never leave you. No matter what."

Emma cried into her mother's shoulder. "Even after the things I said last night?"

"Emma, no matter what, I will always be here for you and your sister. Just right now, I need to have a chat with my step-mother."

"Then I'm going too," Emma said with finality, sloppily wiping her face on her jacket sleeve.

Snow gave her daughter a meaningful look. "Emma-"

"No. You've told me that family sticks together and right now David is with Rose and I'm with you. We stick together." Emma offered hand out for her mother. "Right?"

Snow smiled as she reached out and accepted her daughter's hand. "Absolutely."

Emma glanced back toward the hospital as the car pulled out of the parking lot. This was for Rose. She would believe in her parents for her because she would never stop believing in Rose.

It did not take Emma long to realize that no one messed with Snow White's kids. As soon as David's truck was thrown into park, Snow was out of the car and marching toward the door with Emma trying to keep up.

She did not knock like Mary Margaret would have. She did not hesitate like Emma would have, no. Snow White barged into Regina Mill's home without so much as batting an eyelash.

"Regina!" she called, standing in the middle of her longue. "Regina!"

The older woman appeared from the kitchen, drying her hands and looking completely thrown. "What is it? Why are you intruding into my home and yelling like a madman?"

Snow White charged the Evil Queen and shoved her into the wall with her hands nearly around her throat. "You have taken my father, you have tried to kill me and my husband multiple times, you have made my life hell, but so help me if my daughter dies-"

Regina pushed Snow's hands away. "What are you talking about?"

"Rose took a bite of that turnover to try and prove that you changed," Emma told her, taking a step up. "Turns out she was wrong."

Regina physically paled. "What?"

"Rose is in the hospital because of you!" Snow clarified. "She has done nothing but try and probe you are a good person! She adores you and now-"

"It was meant for you! I would never hurt Rose!" Regina argued.

"Hurting her parents wouldn't hurt her?" Snow scoffed.

"I would be there for her! I'm the one she goes to when she's upset anyway. I'm the one who dries her tears. That's me, not you."

"I'm her mother!" Snow snapped.

"And you dumped her in a wardrobe!"

"But we love Mary Margaret!" Emma cut in stand up for her mother. "We love David too. We wouldn't want anything to happen to them."

Snow gave her daughter a gentle smile before turning her glare back to Regina. "You need to fix this."

"I can't. It's the sleeping curse. The same curse I used on you," Regina explained angrily, but not being able to hide her own concern and sadness.

"That was broken by true love's kiss," Snow replied.

"And how are we going to do that for Rose?" Emma asked feeling suddenly hopeless.

"Lucky for you-"

All three women spun around to see Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin standing in the open door frame of Regina's home. "I have a solution."

_**Please review. Muwhahahaha**_


	15. A Sister's Choice

Snow moved closer to Emma, not trusting this man around her daughter. She had experienced and seen the power of Rumplestiltskin over and over again, and though magic didn't exist in this world, she also knew the power of Gold. "This room is so filled with half-truths it's almost it a bit suffocating," Mr. Gold commented with disgust, but still moved deeper into the living area.

He looked at Snow first. "You blame Regina for Rose being in the hospital when your daughter may have never gone to Regina in the first place if you learned to accept the boundaries your children give you for their own sake."

Then he looked at Regina. "You pretend like nothing would be wrong with the girls if their parents hadn't abandoned them into a wardrobe, that they'd be happily cursed together, but you would have killed those infants without even a blink." She opened her mouth but Mr. Gold held up a finger. "How do I know? I'm the Dark One. I made you who you are."

Then he looked at Emma. He did not speak right away but just looked at her. "You love Mary Margaret and David. But you're not sure how much you love Prince Charming and Snow White. You don't want anything to happen to them until you can figure out your feelings toward them."

Emma looked at her feet, but said nothing. He was right. Everyone in the room knew he was right.

Mr. Gold rolled his eyes at all the pathetic looking people in the room. "But the one thing you all do have in common is that you love Rose, for whatever reasons."

Then he looked at Emma. "Do you want to help your sister, Miss Swan?" he asked taking several steps toward her even though Snow really wanted to pull her away from him.

"Of course, she's my sister," Emma replied firmly.

"Though you've always had to stick up for her, protect her?" Gold smirked at the blonde's glare. The man always liked getting a rise out of people and it seemed particularly fun with this family. "Wouldn't life have been so much easier if you just had to worry about yourself? What would life be like if you didn't have to protect her anymore?"

Snow's stomach dropped, fearful of what the evil man was proposing, but Emma wasn't hearing any of it. Obviously this man didn't have a sister or a brother.

"She's protected me just as much as I protect he. We stick together," Emma replied firmly.

Gold continued to smirk. "Does the family motto live on? Do you truly believe you will always find each other? Is blind optimism inherited?"

The girl crossed her arms and took a step toward Gold. "Rose and I will never _lose_ each other. That's not optimism, that's fact."

This time Gold actually laughed. "Just like your father. You realize that don't you? You are just like your father and Rose is just like your mother." He then looked at Snow. "But Snow White's heart is pure, unlike your little girl's."

Regina tilted her head in confusion, interested in what that meant while Snow glared at the old man. "What does that mean?" she snapped pulling Emma away from him. "Rose has a heart of gold. She always tries to see the best in people."

"Seeing the best in people or sees the good in people? You see she is not at all blind to the darkness either, dearie." The old man tsked his tongue as waved his finger. "You see, only one of your daughter's is the savior," he replied, motioning to Emma. "The other has a very different destiny."

Emma was the only one who was impatient enough to talk. "What is Rose then? If I'm the Savior, what's Rose?"

Gold smirked. "She's the balance between dark magic and light magic. She's the one that will be the one that determines in what direction the balance falls."

Snow felt her heart stop. "You mean-"

Gold nodded, not hiding how excited he was about this. "If your daughter chooses dark magic, she will never be your daughter again. That's if you consider her your daughter at all when it reality she is destiny's child."

Snow pushed Emma back, away from Gold as she got nose to nose with him. "My daughter is good. She is _my_ daughter and no one will take her from me."

Regina, who had been listening silently, suddenly started laughing. It started out as a low chuckle that grew into a full sinister laugh. "Of course. It makes sense now. That's why I can feel so much magic in her."

Snow shot a look at her step-mother, but Gold tsked his tongue again. "It's not she or I you have to worry about. The path she chooses will completely be her own and nothing we can do will influence her, but I can give Emma a choice."

They all turned to Emma and suddenly she wanted to disappear. "What is it?" she asked with mock strength.

Gold moved toward her, smirking mercilessly. "You could leave Storybrooke. Rose will wake up when you're gone and be able to live with her parents under the cursed state with Snow White and Prince Charming as Mary Margaret and David Nolan. The scale of good and evil will continue unbalanced. No one will remember you, and maybe your memories of them would fade too, if you're lucky. That's option number one. A happily ever after for your sister and even your parents in a way. They would be none the wiser that you left."

Snow shook her head. "No! That's not going to happen-"

"And the second option?" Emma asked calmly, looking at the man soberly.

Gold held up a sword that had been unnoticeably resting in the doorframe. "I have a personal containment of _true love_ that I made sure was brought with us over to this world. You, and you alone, must retrieve it using your father's sword. You may die. Rose will never wake up. Your parents would eventually forget who they truly are and go back into the cursed state."

Emma swallowed, not liking the sound of that. Snow didn't either and she protectively pulled Emma closer to her. "And if I do survive and I get your 'true love'?" she asked feeling like she sounded braver than she actually felt.

"Then you break the curse. The town wakes up and so does your sister. But then you put the balance between good and evil at stake," Gold replied tossing the sword between his hands. "Your sister and your parents get a happy ending while you go off into the world you already know is cruel and has never been kind to you, or you risk dying to bring a future that could possibly not as bright as you may hope." His lips twitched upward. "Your choice, dearie."

Snow held tightly onto her daughter as Emma stepped forward "It's always been me and Rose," she said not needing to think about it. "And it's going to stay me and Rose." She took the sword from Gold's hand and clutched it tight in her own.

Snow turned Emma around to face her and looked her in the eye. "You don't have to do this. We can find another way."

Gold tilted his head. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. The curse is not as stable in this world. It will more than just put Rose to sleep, it's only a matter of time before it kills her."

Emma stared up at her mother with determination. "This is for Rose. She'd do it for me."

Of course she would. This was Emma and Rose they were talking about. Two sister's that would fight for each other until the end of time if they had to and Snow was proud to call them her daughters.

The blonde girl turned back around to face Gold again. "What do I have to do?"

"You see, the only thing strong enough to break a curse as powerful as this is true love. Lucky for you, I bottled some," he said sly, taking a seat at Regina's table without invitation. "I used strands of your parent's hair and when I created the curse that is on this town, a placed a single drop on the parchment."

Snow nodded slowly. "Which is why Emma and Rose can break the curse."

Gold flicked a finger at her as though she was finally catching on. "But lucky for you, I didn't use all the potion. I saved the rest for a rainy day."

Emma glared at him and with new found strength strutted toward him. "Well, lucky for you it's storming like a bitch. Tell me what to do."

"As the product of magic, you must be the one to find it," he mused before turning to Regina and smirking. "Tell me, Your Majesty, is our friend still in the basement?"

Regina's eyes squinted and she gritted her teeth. "You twisted little imp! You hit it with _her_?"

Every passing moment Snow was liking this less and less.

"No-no-no," Gold replied, sounding more and more like Rumplestiltskin. "Not with her, _in _her. I knew you just couldn't resist bringing her over."

Snow shook her head. "Who is her? Who are you talking about?"

Gold just smirked at the protective way Snow was holding onto Emma, trying to reel her in so that Snow could take the damage and not the girl. "Someone your daughter will need to be prepared for. The entire reason I gave her your husband's sword. Maybe it has some luck since he came out of hiding the potion alive, maybe she will with retrieving it."

Emma looked up at Snow's horrified face but held tightly onto the sword. "I'll do it. Where do I go?"

Regina stepped up. "I'll take her. "

Snow spun around and glared at the woman. "I think you've done enough. Tell me where to go. I'll go with her."

Regina rolled her eyes at the younger woman. "Fine. I'll take you both there. Besides, you'll need someone else to work the elevator if Miss Swan doesn't make it back up."

Snow clenched her fists, but said nothing as Emma moved to her and touched her arm. "I want to go talk to Rose," she said softly, not shying away as Snow held her hand.

There was nothing more Emma wanted to hear, there was nothing else anyone could say. Her mind was made up. She and Rose had made a promise a long time ago that they stuck together, no matter what, they would always be there for each other. Come hell or high water. They were sisters.

It was somewhat odd that even before they knew who their parents were and what their parents had done to be together, the girls had already followed a similar motto. No matter what they fought for each other, they fought beside each other, and God knows they fought with each other. But as long as they were together they could do anything.

This time Emma was alone though. Rose was laying on a bed with wires and tubes attached to her and the only chance of them being together again was if Emma got that egg.

As she walked into the room, the very same room her father had laid in only months before, Emma felt a chill run down her spine. Mother Superior was saying a prayer as David sat in a chair by the door with his head in his hands. Snow walked in and stay next to him, his hand covering hers on his shoulder. Regina stood on the other side of the door as Emma drug the sword Gold had given her toward the bed and laid it next to her sister.

Too many emotions were running through her. She couldn't handle it, not with so many people around.

Slowly she looked up at Mother Superior who had just finished her prayer. "Can-can I-uh- talk to my sister alone?" she asked shakily as her eyes fell back on Rose. For some reason her hair looked even darker against her unhealthy pale skin and there were black circles growing beneath her eyes. She already looked so close to death.

Mother Superior offered the young girl a gentle but grim smile and nodded. Emma glanced over her shoulder at the people near the door. "I mean you guys leave too," she said quietly, trying not to sound rude, but not knowing how else to say it. Once again, she had her father's tact.

Snow and Charming exchanged nervous and sad looks before nodding and following Regina out the door.

Emma didn't watch them leave, but she waited for the door to shut completely before letting out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. "So," she said as though Rose was completely conscious and nothing was wrong in the world. "I think this would be a good time to jump up and say 'gotcha!'"

She even hesitated, hoping that maybe Rose would crack a smile and start giggling like she always did when she tried to play possum. The knot in her throat grew the longer she stared at Rose, waiting for a reply.

"You're going to wake up, Rose. You hear me? You and me, we don't leave each other, we _fight_ for each other. So while I'm fighting to get that stupid potion of Gold's you better fight too, you understand?" Emma said forcefully as her eyes began to tear.

Again, her words were just met with the peeping of a heart monitor and it made Emma break inside. She hung her head as the first few tears feel. "You're going to be alright," she promised herself as well as her sister.

She roughly wiped her tears off her cheeks and moved toward the door.

David and Snow watched as Emma stood next to her sister's bed. Though they couldn't see her face, they could assume she was crying. Every so often they could see her shoulders shake or notice how she would start to reach out to her sister but stop herself.

"They can't lose each other," Snow whispered as Charming squeezed her hand. "I can't imagine losing Rose or Emma, but they need each other more than... well more than they need us."

David didn't say anything, just kept staring straight ahead at their daughters in the glass room.

"You're absolutely right," Regina growled from only feet away, watching the same thing they were. "You scare your children into befriending a monster and look who gets burned." She turned toward the couple. "Them."

For a moment neither parent said anything. They just stared back at the witch with anger until finally David had enough.

"You don't have any right to be here, Regina," he growled dangerously. "This is your fault we're here in the first place. If it wasn't for this curse-"

"If you want to point fingers here, why don't we start with your wife?" Regina snapped back, crossing her arms. "She's the one-"

"Rose is the reason we're here!" Snow said finally. "We're all here because we love Rose, and she loves us." For a moment she made eye contact with her husband, hoping he could calm down by her sheer will. "Even Regina."

Though, it should have made Regina smug, it made her feel about two inches tall. Suddenly she found herself asking the question that everyone else had been asking since it became apparent Rose like Regina at all: what did she do to deserve it?

The fact Rose would be the next controller or magic, be it good or evil, made her a very powerful being. She was the daughter of Snow White, the step-grandchild of the Evil Queen Regina and the sister to the savior. But her heart of gold and her very clear perception of the world was the light and the darkness.

Regina looked at the two parents and her expression changed. "I-I would never hurt Rose intentionally. I-I can't really even tell you why, but I care about her. She's-she's-"

"Special?" Emma asked, appearing in the open door. Regina didn't reply, but looked away from the family. "I'm ready if you are," she told her parents as rubbed her hands together.

Snow gently touches Emma's face. "I want to say a few words to your sister as well." She glanced at Charming. They had a silent conversation until he just gave a small nod and placed his hand on Emma's shoulders and finally took a real look at what she was holding.

"Is that my sword?" he asked amazed it found its way into this world.

It was heavier than Emma expected it too, and more than just physically. The emotional weight of using it to fight for her sister and the symbolic weight of using her father's sword to protect her family made it unbearably heavy.

"Yeah, Mr. Gold told me I'd need it," she said wearily.

Charming smiled. "I'm glad it found itself in your hands."

She clutched it a little tighter. "And I will give it back to you as soon as I'm done with it."

His hand covered hers on the sword. "Or maybe I can teach you how to really use it."

There was a look that was shared between father and daughter that said more than words could, but David didn't try to push his luck any further. She had given a little, and that was enough.

There was a reason that David was the one that stayed with Rose before. Snow could barely handle it. Rose was never one to look weak, but as she laid on that bed, she looked like she may never move again. David had felt like he was reliving the past when he looked at her because all he could see was Snow, but Snow... she just felt like she let her little girl down.

She ran her fingers through her daughter's wild curls kneeled to get closer to her daughter. "Hey baby girl. I want you to be strong, okay? Just for a little while longer. And when you're all better, I'll start listening, really listening, baby. I'll do my best to not push, but no matter what I will always love you." She stroked her little girl's forehead and smoothed her hair as her own tears fell. "Your dad love you and I'm sure I don't have to tell you Emma loves you."

Snow wiped her face with her free hand and grabbed her daughter's hand. "Just hold on, baby."

With that, Snow gave her daughter one last long look before glancing back to see Regina watching her with a look that could only be described as heartrending. Though no one could love her daughter like she did, it didn't stop Regina from loving Rose truly and dearly.

Taking a deep breath she walked toward the door before looking at Regina. "If you would like a few minute with Rose, you can have them," Snow told the woman, trying her very best to keep any negativity out of her voice.

The two women looked at each other for a long moment before Snow stepped out of the doorway and allowed Regina past.

"What are you doing?" Charming hissed as the door closed behind Regina.

Her husband had already been briefed on the conversation they all had with Rumplestiltskin about their daughter, so she shrugged in a small surrender. "Maybe Rose is suppose to bring out the light in Regina again. She chooses the balance and she is still good, maybe she just wants Regina to be good too."

Emma just slowly turned and looked at her mother with a very sober look. "Or maybe Regina's suppose to bring out the darkness in her."

Snow just looked back at her oldest daughter, feeling her stomach churn painfully. The even heavier question that weighed on Snow's mind was what if Rose chose the darkness over her family.

_**Please review! And if there is anything special you want to see, let me know. **_


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